Selle, Thomas E. 1925-2012

SELLE, THOMAS, HARVEY, MORRISON, KRAMKA, BURNHAM, STOKER

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 4/15/2013 at 21:18:55

The Poweshiek County Chronicle Republican
Aug. 8, 2012

THOMAS E. SELLE, 87

Thomas E. Selle, 87, of Grinnell died Aug. 2, 2012, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 7, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with Pastor Todd Follette, First Friends Church, officiating. Organist was Kathy Vander Ploeg. Pallbearers were Duane and William Morrison, Jonathan Kramka, Joshua Burnham, Melvin Stoker and Steve Dudley. Burial was in Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Eastern Iowa Honor Flight, a non-profit organization dedicated to sending local veterans to Washington D.C. to visit historical sites.

Tom was born March 28, 1925, in Grinnell, the son of Henry and Clara (Thomas) Selle. He was raised in Grinnell and was a 1942 graduate of Grinnell High School. Following high school, he attended Iowa State University and then enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II.

On May 23, 1948, he was united in marriage to Lois Isabel Harvey, in Delta, Colo., where both were employed with Western Union. The couple moved to an acreage near Grinnell in 1959. He was employed with the Highway Commission for several years and then as a carpenter at Grinnell College. He retired in 1988.

Tom was a 50 year member of the Grinnell Odd Fellows and a member of the Izaak Walton League. He enjoyed family activities, camping, fishing and gardening. He held a passion for woodworking and enjoyed making toys and puzzles.

Survivors include two children, Connie (Duane) Morrison of Malcom and Michael (Dorine) Selle of Holland, Mich.; five grandchildren, Jennifer (Jonathan) Kramka, Joshua (Angela) Burnham, William Morrison, and Eric and Renee Selle; one great-grandchild, Philip Burnham; and one sister, Shirley (Melvin) Stoker of Grinnell.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; two brothers, Ernest and Charles Selle; and one daughter, Catherine Jane Selle.