Feb. 18—BEMIDJI — Evi Thompson was 18 years outdated when she took her first airline flight. She was a newlywed, flying from her native Germany to fulfill her American husband in New York City. She by no means left her seat, did not understand it was OK to make use of the toilet or eat the meal that was provided on the eight-hour flight.
To make issues worse, when she acquired to JFK Airport, her husband was nowhere to be discovered. Jeff Thompson was having some hassle along with his discharge papers from the U.S. Army, and could not get there on time. Four hours later, after Evi sat behind the Swiss Air counter, the couple was lastly reunited.
It’s a marvel Evi ever needed to get again on an airplane. Forty-seven years later, she’s retiring from a travel agent career that has taken her to seven continents and 132 nations. Suffice it to say, air travel is not an issue for her.
On Jan. 1, Evi bought her enterprise, Cruise Masters of Minnesota, to fellow worker Kathryn Wicker. While she and Jeff nonetheless plan to guide a couple of journeys later this 12 months, they’re transitioning into retirement. Jeff retired in 2016 after 40 years as a UPS driver, however has helped Evi lead Cruise Masters journeys since 2003.
When requested what she is going to miss the most, Evi shortly replied, “Oh, no doubt, the people. Clients, guides, escorts, cruise directors. The people who have traveled with us started out as just being clients. Many of them are our best friends now. Seeing the world, that was also good. But that was secondary to the people.”
The feeling is mutual with a few of her frequent fellow vacationers.
“Evi is great,” stated Susan Lind of Bemidji, who made many Cruise Masters journeys alongside together with her husband, Kevin. “There are many places in the world we wouldn’t have gone if we didn’t know the person who was leading us and knew she would get us there and back safely. Jeff and Evi are just a lot of fun to travel with. It’s a team, and they’re both a lot of fun.”
Jim and Jo Hanko of Bemidji additionally made various journeys with the Thompsons.
“You always knew when Evi was in the room,” Jim stated, “and I say that positively. She was often the life of the party. She made traveling easier and much more fun than it would have otherwise been. And Jeff was a great partner. He would sit back and let her do her thing, and he would help when he was asked to help.”
That partnership started in 1975 when Jeff and Evi had been married in the West German metropolis of Geislingen, located in the Swabian Alps. He was 21; she was 17. They had met the earlier 12 months at a discotheque. Evi and her mates loved disco music. Jeff’s unit was stationed close by.
After the kerfuffle at JFK Airport, the couple made their technique to Jeff’s household farm south of Warroad. Evi pictured a ranch like what she had seen on tv’s “Bonanza” collection, and when she found that wasn’t the case, she shortly informed Jeff they wanted to maneuver elsewhere.
That’s once they landed in Bemidji and made it their everlasting residence. Jeff acquired his job with UPS and Evi enrolled at Bemidji State University. Three years later she graduated summa cum laude with a serious in German and minors in French and Russian.
“I was going to be a language teacher,” Evi stated, “but … I didn’t want to be in Grand Forks to get my master’s degree, so I decided to take a job here.”
She labored as a restaurant hostess and at First National Bank Bemidji for a short while earlier than becoming a member of the workers at the Bemidji Pioneer from 1980 to 1990. Evi started as an promoting clerk and labored her method as much as promoting supervisor.
Then got here a name from Jean Humeniuk, proprietor of the Travel Chalet. She requested Evi if she ever considered being a travel agent.
“I laughed and said I love to travel, but I don’t think I want to be a travel agent,” Evi recalled. The subsequent day she visited the Travel Chalet to see what Humeniuk really did, and so started a 32-year career in the trade.
After the first 5 years, Evi’s wrists gave out from all the typewriter and laptop work, and Humeniuk steered she simply begin promoting cruises, which at the time had been booked over the cellphone. That led to the institution of Cruise Masters, a division of the Travel Chalet. In 2001, Evi bought Cruise Masters and two years later she began escorting teams together with Jeff.
Their first group journey was a doozy. They had been cruising from Buenos Aires, Argentina, round Cape Horn to Chile. All went nicely till they acquired to the Chilean fjords and a hurricane struck. Other cruise ships determined to remain put, however their captain selected to present it a go, and the consequence was close to catastrophe.
“We call it the Perfect Storm Trip,” Evi stated, noting how 80-foot swells tossed the ship round, inflicting chaos on board. “For 48 hours our ship just bobbed in the ocean riding it out. We were in our stateroom in our beds, praying the rocking and rolling would end. Dishes, glassware and wine bottles broke, food in the galley spilled all over, gift shop racks fell over and broke … a real mess.
“We all the time have a welcome residence celebration after our journeys and after that one, they had been all saying, ‘That was so nice.’ They nonetheless speak about it.”
With Evi making the arrangements and Jeff doing whatever else was needed, Cruise Masters trips were mostly planned to perfection. Evi was there to solve almost any problem.
Mary Melchior of Bemidji can attest. She and her husband, Bob, went on many trips with Evi and Jeff.
“On one among our journeys we had eaten at an out of doors restaurant and the subsequent day I attempted to make use of the bank card,” Mary said. “They wouldn’t settle for it as a result of there had been an enormous cost on it. Evi stepped in and known as the bank card firm. She could also be little, however she’s acquired a loud voice. And it was all taken care of.”
Evi also was often open to making slight changes in plans, as frequent traveler Trish Quistgaard explained.
“Once once we had been in Cambodia, (my husband) Jon had learn an article about some not too long ago uncovered temples at a spot known as Sacred Mountain,” Trish said. “She talked with an area information they usually labored out the journey. We had meals containers, and our travel concerned driving motorbikes via nature throughout rocks. She all the time places just a little additional into it. She simply takes care of issues.”
Jeff Thompson beams with pride when talking about his wife’s travel career, and chuckles when he thinks back to Evi’s first airline flight. He knows she found her true passion and made traveling pleasurable for all.
“When we’d be in a room and also you’d hear Evi’s snicker, the entire room would get this little smile on their face,” Jeff said. “She simply had the little snicker that everyone cherished. She’s enjoyable to be round.”