Bussmann Family

Funeral services for Mr. Thomas "Tom" Thomas, of Spencer, will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, at First Congregational Church in Spencer. Revs. Tom and Wendy Van Tassell will officiate the service.
Interment will take place at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer.

Tom passed away at his home on Friday, Nov. 18, 2011, at the age of 93.

Thomas "Tom" Thomas, the son of Walter H. and Hilda Thomas, was born July 10, 1918, in Spencer. He graduated from the Spencer school system in 1936 and enrolled at Carlton College in Northfield, Minn., and graduated with a B.A. degree in business administration.

Following his graduation, Tom worked briefly at Northwest Federal during World War II and then established a finance and insurance firm in Spencer called Thomas Thomas, Inc. He was active in his firm until he retired in 1983.

Tom was known to many as a man of wit and dry humor. He was active in the community, serving on the Spencer City Council and school board. He was chairman of the building committee when the new YMCA was built in the early '60s. He also served on the board of directors and president of the YMCA. Tom as instrumental in moving the Spencer Golf and Country Club to its present location west of town. Golfing was one of his passions and was a lifelong member of the club. He enjoyed handball and tennis. Tom was a lifelong member of the First Congregational Church and sang in the church choir for 25 years. Yes, he loved to sing and he helped organize the Spencer Barbershop Chorus and sang in several Barbershop Quartets. As his family was growing up, he and Edie became became interested in skiing and helped organize a Spencer Ski Club.

Tom loved animals, all animals, especially horses and dogs. He had a barn built behind his home and cared for horses for many years, enjoying the caregiving as much as the riding. He always had a pet dog.

On April 18, 1941, Tom married Edith Castensen, and the two were devoted to each other for 68 years until Edie died in 2009. They raised six children: Pam and her husband, Chuck Pohar, of Spencer; Mary and her husband, Jerry Beck, of Spencer; Lori Thomas and her friend, Steve Pearson, of Spirit Lake; Walt Thomas and his wife, Melanie, of Council Bluffs; John Thomas and his wife, Marie, of Everly; and Jeff Thomas and his friend, Janna Lorenz Mugge, of Spencer; 11 grandchildren; eight grandchildren; an aunt, Minnie Quarnberg (almost 111 years old); and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Edith (Edie) in 2009; one brother, Keith Thomas; and one sister, Maxine Howe