Gastineau Channel Memories

Thompson, Sid

Jean Thompson Taylor and Janice Gregory Taylor

Sidney J. Thompson was born in Nailsworth, England, on December 8, 1902, to parents James Bruce and Eliza Mary (Knee) Thompson. In 1916, he began an apprenticeship as machinist, which he finished in June of 1921. He came to America at that time and lived with his parents in Bellingham, Washington.

Sid went to work for Pacific American Fisheries in Bellingham and the following spring was sent to Excursion Inlet in Southeast Alaska as a mechanic in the cannery. While there, he met Elizabeth Madsen working to earn money for teachers college. But Sid met the boat and they were married September 13, 1926, in Seattle, living in Bellingham in off fishing seasons and Juneau in the summer. They had two daughters, Audrey Jean Taylor now residing in Centralia, Washington, and Marjorie Ann Mueller of Schiller Park, Illinois. Eventually, they had eight grandchildren: Jerry, Jeff, Dan and Kirk Taylor, and Carl, Jim, Teri, and Geri Ann Mueller.

The family settled permanently in Juneau where Sid worked briefly at the A.J. Mine, then as projectionist at the Capitol Theater. In 1942, he became U.S. Deputy Marshal under William C. Mahoney, U.S. Marshal. He was stationed at Yakutat one summer, and often made trips south to Seattle with prisoners. When Mr. Mahoney passed away in 1951, Sid was appointed U.S. Marshal, a job he held until 1953, at which time he retired and returned to his projectionist job until his death on November 8, 1963. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in the Elks plot.

Once Sid built a 12-foot boat in the basement of the family home (which he also built) on 11th Street in Juneau. He put it together with one screw in each board and later took it apart and moved it to the neighbors garage to reassemble and finish. We had lots of fun fishing in that boat. He also built a cabin on Fritz Cove Road on
beachfront property he got in 1946 for $10. Most of the boards in it came from old buildings that were being torn down around Juneau. The windows were from the museum in the old Federal Building, now the State Capitol Building. The glass was old and kind of wavy, but served the purpose!

Liz was a lady on-the-go her entire life. She loved being outdoors boating, fishing, hiking, and gardening. She belonged to the Juneau Ski Club in its early days. She worked with Girl Scouts and cooked at camp during the 1940?s. She also loved dressing up and going dancing, that continued in later years by belonging to the Elks and Pioneers, dressing in costumes for conventions and parades. Trick-or-treating children at Halloween could never be sure what was going to meet them at the door! The house was a magnet to friends, family and craft ladies but at the same time how often in later years her, ?stop in to see me sometime? got the answer, ?but you are never home!?

	Elizabeth K. Madsen and Sidney J. Thompson, wed September 1926.