Thomas A. Hoffmann, 80, of Cascade, Iowa passed away Wednesday, December 21, 2016, at Shady Rest Care Center in Cascade, Iowa.
Friends and relatives of Tom may call from 4 to 8 p.m., Monday, December 26, 2016, at the Reiff Funeral Home in Cascade, Iowa, where a wake service will be held at 3:30 p.m.
Funeral services will be held at St. Peter's Catholic Church, Temple Hill, at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 27, 2016, with Rev. Neil Manternach officiating. Concelebrating will be Rev. Douglas Loecke and Deacon Joe Schockemoehl will give the homily. Private burial will be held in Calvary Cemetery in Cascade, Iowa 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 two when they moved to Masonville, Iowa where Tom lived until he retired in 2002.
Tom was an only child. He attended elementary school in a neighborhood country school, 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 twenty-one. 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, Iowa 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 US. 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, IA; 5 brothers-in-law and 3 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, Lester (Mary Ellen) Manternach all of Cascade; one brother-in-law, Clarence Quint of Manchester; one sister-in-law, Lois Manternach of Cascade; a step-sister-in-law, Jeanette Callahan; and step-brother-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 and Sr. Irmina (Leona) Manternach OSF, Veronica (Herman) Welter, Larry Manternach, Harry Rockzein; step-brothers-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