Anthony “Tony” William Tompkins 1937 - 2022
TOMPKINS, WILLEY, EPPLE, SMIDT
Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 2/10/2022 at 14:22:05
Anthony “Tony” William Tompkins was born June 28, 1937, to Marion Louise Willey at the Florence Critten Home in Sioux City, Iowa. Six months later he was adopted by Clarence and Laura Epple Tompkins of Rock Rapids, Iowa. With family present, Tony passed January 31, 2022, at Whiting Pleasant View Nursing Home after an unfortunate fall on the family farm breaking a bone in his lower back.
A memorial service will be 11:00 A.M. Monday, February 7, 2022 at the Hornick United Methodist Church, Hornick, Iowa with Pastor Catie Newman and Pastor Karen Handke, officiating. A live stream of the service will be posted on the Goslar Funeral Home website with Tony’s obituary. A luncheon will follow the memorial service at the church. Burial will follow at the Little Sioux Township Cemetery, Smithland, Iowa. Arrangements are under the direction of Goslar Funeral Home and Monuments, Onawa, Iowa.
Tony grew up in Rock Rapids and Fort Dodge, Iowa and once he completed high school, he joined the Air Force and shortly after enrolled in the Reserves. On June 7, 1960, he married Nelta Smidt and settled on the family farm outside of Smithland, Iowa.
Tony was a janitor and drove bus for the Westwood School District and in the 1980’s would drive semi-tractor for a local trucking company. Dad had many interests and was an extremely creative man who enjoyed tinkering with big and small toys. From building a sawmill to an ethanol plant to a pipe organ, Dad was always busy. For a while he had the whole family and some of the community involved in the planting of bedding plants in the large greenhouses he had built on the farm. From seed to delivery of these beautiful bedding and house plants, his family not only ran a huge farm operation they also brought food to table possibilities all over the Midwest.
Family vacations included his grand interest of large steam engines which he also collected. Talking about collections, he loved clocks and he could always find room to add one more. Dad always had a project going and into his later years he enjoyed carpentry work making Victorian trim.
Tony was active in his local church and played the piano for church services and sang in the choir. After his wife, Nelta passed, he would visit Pleasant View Nursing Home for Sunday dinner and play the piano for the residents.
He is survived by his children and spouses, Laura Tompkins Reitan of Whiting, Iowa, Clarence (Kim)Tompkins of Whiting, Iowa, Alicia Tompkins of San Diego, California, and Bill (Laurie)Tompkins of Dyer, Tennessee; grandson, Donovan Sterling Young of San Diego, California; step-grandchildren, Travis Burks, Lindsey Burks, and Blake Burks; step-great-grandchildren, Josye and Melissa Burks, all of Dyer, Tennessee; sister-in-law, Jeanie Tompkins of Lincoln, Rhode Island; brother-in-law, John (Lavada) Smidt of Parker, Colorado; and several nieces and nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.
Besides his parents, Tony was preceded in death by his wife Nelta, in 2010; son-in law, Robert Reitan; brother, Stephen Tompkins; and half-brother, Clinton Olson.
Monona Obituaries maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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