Thomas Jochum (1951-2020)

JOCHUM, SCHMITT, -HINGTGEN

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 11/12/2020 at 09:58:08

The family wishes everyone to remain well during this time. For safety, Bishop Joenson has mandated the wearing of masks for the service. Seating will be distanced and is limited. The service will be live-streamed from this site and a recording will remain available at this site. The family welcomes your written memories and condolences and asks them to be shared here.**

Thomas “Tom” Joseph Jochum was born to Alfred and Lolita (Schmitt) Jochum on December 25, 1951 and died November 9, 2020. Tom grew up in Dubuque Iowa and attended Sacred Heart Parish and Wahlert High School. In his early life he attended Loras College, worked for John Deere and married Mary Pamela Hingtgen, with whom he had his first child, Sarah Noel Jochum. Sarah's intellectual disability encouraged Tom to get into politics to fight for people like her. He was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1975 and served for 18 years, where he fought for the rights and needs of underrepresented people. He later went on to work as Executive Director of the ARC to continue the fight in protecting the rights of Iowans with disabilities. In 1991, he got remarried to Amy (Ward) Jochum. The two of them had four children, Samuel Anthony, Jacob Ward, Anna Beth, and Isabel Marie. Tom loved being a father above all else and was very involved and supportive in all five of his children's lives. His career in the Iowa House and ARC eventually lead him to start a political consulting and lobbying business. In his long career he worked with many different groups such as the LGBTQ community, The Meskwaki Tribe and Iowa Unions, to ensure their rights, but all the people and causes he helped are much too numerous to list.

Tom is survived by his wife, Amy; sons, Sam (Bonnie Hiscox) and Jack; daughters, Anna and Izzy; sisters, Geri (Paul) O'Connor, Connie (Ken) Bennett, Donna Sindahl, and Kim (Dale) Klinkhammer; his brothers, Ron (Helen) Schmitt and Steve Jochum; mother-in-law, Carole Ward; Sarah's mother, Pam Jochum; brothers and sisters-in-law, Kathy and Jim Schauwecker, Jim and Nancy Ward, Andy and Danielle Ward, Sarah and Todd Simpson; many, many, many nieces and nephews; and "best friend" dog, Buster.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father; his beloved daughter, Sarah; his sister, Joyce Monahan; brothers-in-law, Mike Monahan and John Sindahl; his brother, Richard Dale Jochum; his sister- in- law, Freda Jochum; his father-in-law, John Ward; and his nieces, Jessica Bennett and Elizabeth Klinkhammer.

Funeral Services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, November 13 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Des Moines. Masks are required and seating is limited due to distancing requirements. The service will begin live-streaming at 10:15 a.m. Friday from www.IlesCares.com.

In lieu of flowers Tom would like donations to be made to Camp Sunnyside, Holy Trinity Church, or the Iowa Democratic Party.

ARRANGEMENTS BY ILES WESTOVER CHAPEL
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