Thomas Henry Wegman

WEGMAN, NEUMAN, MARCHAEL, SANDSTROM, STRICKLER, FOSTER

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 6/11/2012 at 15:22:02

Thomas Henry Wegman

Tom Wegman died peacefully at home in Iowa City on June 8th.

Tom was born to Clarence and Dorothy Wegman in Carroll, Iowa, on June 13, 1930. After graduating from high school in Atlantic, Iowa, where he excelled in football he spent three years at the University of Iowa majoring in business. For the next six years he traveled the world with the U S Air Force becoming a captain and flying B17 planes. After retiring from the Air Force he returned to Iowa City to complete a BFA. While in the service he became interested in art and met Marcia Neuman through the art department taking painting classes. They were married the following year. Tom had two years at the Chicago Art Institute then returned to the University of Iowa for an MFA in art with a major in painting. They had two children. Kyle died in the crash of a small private plane in 1975 when he was 12. Syril, two years younger, followed in her father’s footsteps , graduated from the Chicago Art Institute and became a professional artist.

Tom and Marcia started a little antique store in Iowa City in 1961 naming it Things & Things & Things.
Two years later they moved the store downtown and expanded into other merchandise. After the store was
totally destroyed in a fire in January of 1970 they built a new store which became a destination place in
downtown Iowa City. Tom’s sister Doris Marchael became a partner in the store a few years later.
Although Tom loved the creative challenge of running this multi leveled small specialized department store
his real passion was riding and tinkering with motorcycles. An accident during a motorcycle race in 1986
resulted in Tom’s becoming a paraplegic. Tom’s indomitable spirit then truly came to the fore.

Tom and Marcia divorced and Tom married Kathleen Sandstrom. He continued to run the store with his
partners while he developed a passion and talent for bead art. The store was closed in 1995 which gave
Tom more time to explore this new art form. Together Tom and Kathy became nationally
known bead artists, traveling the country showing and selling their unique beaded objects at large juried
craft shows. They continued making and showing their art work until shortly before Tom’s death. Their art may be viewed at www.tomandkathywegman.com

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, his brother and his son Kyle. He is survived by his wife Kathy,
his daughter and granddaughter, Syril and Lexie Strickler of Irvine, California, his sister Doris Marchael
(Pat Foster) of Iowa City, his former wife Marcia Wegman of Iowa City and nieces and nephews.