Thomas Willmott

S. Thomas Tom Willmott died in Eagle Lake, MN at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2003 at the age of 70.

Funeral mass for Shirley Thomas Willmott of Reliance, SD will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, Mankato, with Rev. John Wilmot officiating. Vigil service with a Rosary to follow will be at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at Mankato Mortuary, Mankato, MN. Memorials may be given to Queen of Peace Cancer Center Hospitality House, Mitchell, South Dakota.

A Memorial service with a Rosary will be held at St. Marys Catholic Church, Reliance, SD on Friday, October 31, 2003 at 1:00 p.m., with Rev. Steve Huffstetter officiating. A Prayer service and Rosary will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2003 at 10:30 a.m. at the White Catholic Church, White, SD with Rev. Scott Traynor officiating. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery.

Tom was born the second child of eleven to Harry and Mary Ellen Willmott in White. SD. He attended school at White, SD through the 11th grade. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict as a Communications Technician from 1952 to 1956 and was honorably discharged. Following military duty he resided in Minneapolis, MN, where he worked at the Ford Motor Company. He met Sylvia Jean Kurschner, from Prairie Farm, WI and in November of 1957 they were united in marriage at St. Olafs Catholic Church, Mpls. They were blessed with three children while living in Mpls and Tom got a job with IBM Corp. as a Customer Engineer. They were transferred to Mankato in 1960 and again blessed with three more children, while residing there.

In 1965 he started his own business, Willmotts Business Machines , with a friend, Earl Klose who worked with him one year. Tom and Sylvia expecting a child and with their first five children survived The Flood of 1965 in Mankato. Tom also taught Office Equipment Service Technician classes at Faribault Area Vo-Tech for one year. Willmotts Business Machines, Inc was a family operated business for 25 years.

Tom and Sylvia bought a ranch at Reliance in central South Dakota, where they have made their home for the past several years. The first years at the ranch were spent raising pheasants as a hobby. The ranch soon became a place for hunters to come to for recreation and camaraderie. They had a few cows and horses, but the highlight of the farming was the 5 years they spent raising pigs "farrow-to-finish- 60 sows and 700 hogs did keep them busy. The hog business had to be discontinued when Tom was diagnosed with cancer. They were members of St. Marys Catholic Church, Reliance.

After regaining his health, Tom bought a semi and made several trips throughout the U.S. Sylvia was able to accompany him on a few trips, where they were able to spend time together visiting friends and family and enjoying the sights on the way. Tom was again diagnosed with a new cancer in November 2002, they spent much of their time doctoring.

He is survived by his wife, Sylvia; three daughters, Julie Ann Christensen and husband, John, Brandon, SD, Sandra Marie Murphy and husband, Taylor, North Mankato, Mary Kaye Rykhus, Eagle Lake; three sons, Michael Thomas Willmott and wife, Deb, Madison Lake, Bradley John Willmott and wife, Karen, Mankato, David Charles Willmott and special friend, Barb, Apple Valley; 17 grandchildren; five sisters, Myrna (Kenneth) McCulloch, Portland, OR, Janice (Marv) Buechler, Kokomo, IN, Pat (Dave) Landsman, Elkton, SD, Carol (George) Covrig, Brookings, SD, Kathy (David) Gilfillan, Bellevue, NE; two brothers, Harry Willmott of Austin, MN and Ray Willmott (Jeanne) of Owatonna, MN.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Ellen Dempsey and Mary Radermacher and one brother, Charles Willmott.

Toms great enthusiasm for life and devotion to his family made him a very special person who has inspired all those who have met him.