Tommy Thomson

Tommy W. Thomson, 80, of Waukon, IA, died Saturday, January 27, 2024, at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Saturday, February 3rd, at 11:00 AM at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon with Pastor Grant VanderVelden officiating. Burial will follow at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon. Friends may greet the family from 3:00 - 7:00 PM Friday at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon. In lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials may be made to Veterans Memorial Hospital or Northgate Care Center, both in Waukon.

Thomas William Thomson was born June 26, 1943, in Waukon, IA, the son of Lester "Bill" Earl and Ann Laurayne (Guider) Thomson. A lifelong farmer, Tommy farmed with his parents in the Waterville area while attending Waterville School; in 1961, Tommy graduated from Waukon High School and went on to attend Iowa State University's winter quarter farm operation program. On December 20, 1964, Tommy married Carolyn "Lynn" Marie Cooper at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Lansing, IA. They continued farming in Waterville until they relocated to their current farm in Ludlow Township, Waukon. They primarily raised dairy cows and beef cattle. In 1980 Tom and Jerry Sommer bought and operated the Northeast Iowa Sales Commission sale barn. In 1990, NEISC was sold to Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association. Tom then served as regional director for Equity Livestock from 1991-1999. Tom also served on GF Mutual Insurance Association board of directors from 2000-2016. He retired from active farming in 2014. Even then, he still enjoyed driving around the countryside to check on the crops and cattle.

Tommy loved farming and was a great mentor to several young farmers; not one to sugarcoat anything, Tommy was very direct when answering questions about farming, but also was a very kind, generous, yet fastidious, man who always thought of others and never hesitated to help anyone. Many will remember the gentle smile and twinkle in his eye he carried with him. He enjoyed going to auctions, attending enough of them that Ray Sweeney (and later Jeff and Jodi Sweeney) recruited him to clerk for Sweeney Auction Service.

A lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church in Waukon, Tommy was baptized and confirmed there and was later an elder. He was on the Board of Directors at Waukon State Bank since 1984 and was part the instrumental group that bought back the bank after it was sold to Hawkeye Bancorporation in 1986. Tommy and Lynn both loved to golf and were members at the Waukon Country Club as well. They also enjoyed camping at the Upper Iowa Resort in Dorchester and pulling their camper to Chicago and Kansas City for NASCAR races. For 20 years, Tommy and Lynn also escaped the Iowa winters to Palm Springs, CA. He loved playing euchre and gin rummy and watching other stock car races. As a dedicated sports fan, Tommy followed the Waukon Indians religiously, including attending all the Waukon girls' basketball games the first year they won the state championship, and kept up with all Hawkeye, ISU, and UNI games too.

Tommy is survived by his wife Lynn of Waukon; three sisters: Carolyn (Gene) Maurer of Waterville, Kathy (Loren) Taylor of Quincy, IL, and Kris Tyree of Iowa City; nephews and niece: Jason (Lindsey) Taylor and Jill Taylor, both of St. Louis, MO, Mark (Kathryn) Taylor of Chicago, and Jennifer Elizabeth (Cody) Hanson Schebel of Rickman, TN; and great-nephew and nieces: Colin Taylor, Annie and Avery Taylor, Chelsey (Steve) Pfiffner, Courtney (Nic Rose) Meyer, and Katie and Sammy Schebel.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Elizabeth (Dr. James) Thomson; a niece Lori (Todd) Meyer; and a brother-in-law Tom Tyree.

Honorary bearers are Ron Adam, Dave Bahr, Paul Benda, Cletus and Jerry Sommer, Jeff Sweeney, and Lynn Stock.