Sadly, we have reached the 1910s.
What should have been a joyful time for the Thompson family instead became a wound that would never fully heal. As the new decade began, Europe was moving toward a conflict that would change millions of lives. Few truly understood what they were fighting for, but a growing sense of nationalism, encouraged by the British government, led thousands of men to enlist. In 1914, Britain officially entered the war and began sending wave after wave of soldiers, along with volunteer nurses, to the trenches.
Among them were members of the Campbell family, neighbors of the Thompsons. Edward II had recently become engaged to Anne Margarethe and, before leaving for the front, brought his fiancée to live with his family. Since she was expecting a child, she would remain under the care of Edward's sisters throughout her pregnancy. Soon, the family's third generation would be born.
Elizabeth Anne was among those who volunteered. Driven by love and concern for her older brother, she chose to accompany him as a nurse. She had the necessary training and believed she could help those suffering on the battlefield.
But fate proved cruel. The young woman who went to care for others ultimately became one of the war's many victims. Amid the hardship and devastation of the trenches, Elizabeth lost her life.
Her death left a deep mark on everyone who knew her. Elizabeth was a devoted daughter who taught her younger sisters sewing, cooking, and the values of her faith. For many years, she cared for her parents with kindness and dedication. Yet she was never content to accept the limitations placed on women of her time. She supported the suffrage movement and believed women deserved a voice and a place in society.
Her life was cut short far too soon, but her memory lived on in the hearts of those who loved her.
Here lies Elizabeth Anne Thompson 1886–1914
