Thomas Hoffmann

THOMAS A. HOFFMANN

Cascade

Thomas A. Hoffmann, 80, of Cascade, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016, at Shady Rest Care Center in Cascade.

Friends and relatives of Tom may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 26, at Reiff Funeral Home in Cascade, where a wake service will be at 3:30 p.m. Funeral services will be held at St. Peter's Catholic Church, Temple Hill, at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, with the Rev. Neil Manternach officiating. Concelebrating will be the Rev. Douglas Loecke, and Deacon Joe Schockemoehl will give the homily. Private burial will be held in Calvary Cemetery, Cascade, at a later date.

Tom was born to Peter and Armella (Rausch) Hoffmann on July 11, 1936, on a farm near Luxemburg, Iowa. He lived there until age 2, when they moved to Masonville, where Tom lived until he retired in 2002.

Tom was an only child. He attended elementary school in a neighborhood country school and attended high school at West Delaware School in Manchester. His favorite school remembrance was being involved in FFA. He made many new acquaintances in high school who became lifelong friends.

Tom's dad died suddenly when Tom was 21. He and his mother then became farming partners until she moved to a nursing home in 2001. That was Tom's last year of farming. His goal was to start as a young farmer and to travel, and he did both. He met Joan Manternach from Cascade in 2001. They were married in 2002 at St. Peter's in Temple Hill, and they made their home in Cascade. He and Joan traveled to Hawaii, Brazil, Alaska and Panama Canal, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and all over the U.S. For seven years, they went to Texas in the winter and made many wonderful friends who still keep in touch.

He had no children, but Tom readily accepted Joan's many nieces and nephews as his own.

Through all of his life, farming was his work, his hobby and his life. He enjoyed reading all the farming magazines and watching RFD TV. God made a farmer, and he was a good one.

He is survived by his wife, Joan Hoffmann of Cascade; five brothers-in-law and three sisters-in-law, Katie Rockzein of Anamosa, Joe (JoAnn) Manternach of Cascade, Ralph (Rita) Manternach of Cascade, Loras (Donna) Manternach of Masonville, Ronnie (Bridget) Manternach, Muriel (Duane) Schlemme, Lois (Alan) Gravel and Lester (Mary Ellen) Manternach, all of Cascade; one brother-in-law, Clarence Quint of Manchester; one sister-in-law, Lois Manternach of Cascade; a stepsister-in-law, Jeanette Callahan, and a stepbrother-in-law, Dorrance (Pat) Manders, both of Dubuque.

Thomas was preceded in death by his parents; his in-laws, Florence (Harry) Schockemoehl, Eleanor Quint, Alvina (Robert) Greif, Eva Mae (Elmer) Klocke, Sister Irmina (Leona) Manternach OSF, Veronica (Herman) Welter, Larry Manternach and Harry Rockzein; and stepbrothers-in-law, Donald (Mary) Manders and Jack Callahan.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in Tom's name to St. Peter's Church, Temple Hill; Immaculate Conception Church in Masonville; Aquin Little Angel's Day Care, Cascade FFA and the Cascade Food Pantry.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.reifffuneralhomeinc.com.