Thomas King Wilcox

Thomas (Tom) King Wilcox, 82, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2023, at his farm.  He was born on September 24, 1940, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN to Kathryn A. (Fryer) and Willard C. Wilcox and graduated Kasson-Mantorville High School in 1958.  Tom started farming in high school; he then met his wife of 56 years, Mary A. (Runde) Wilcox of Riceville, IA, at IBM-Rochester, where he worked for 32 years.  They married on February 23, 1963, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Leroy, MN.  In 1966 they settled on a farm north of Mantorville where they raised livestock and crops.  Mary passed away December 28, 2019.

Tom enjoyed the added challenge of farming when he got home each day from his full-time employment at IBM, eventually crop farming with his adult sons.  In the 1970s Tom enjoyed dancing with Mary to polka bands at the Relay Station dance hall.  They enjoyed traveling together, especially to Hawaii.    After Mary was diagnosed with dementia in 2008, Tom did his best to care for her so she could stay at home.

After retiring, Tom began each day with coffee and good company at a local coffee shop –most often at the County Seat Coffeehouse of Mantorville.  This was usually followed by a daily drive to “’check out the crops” and a hamburger from Kwik Trip or Ginny’s Drive-in.

Tom is survived by his children:  Jane (Michael) Wilcox Hardwick, Mark (Michelle) Wilcox, and David (Vicki) Wilcox, all of Mantorville, and Connie (Vu) Le of Fort Collins, CO; grandchildren:  Kathryn “Katie” Wilcox, Orion Hardwick, Annabelle Hardwick, Elijah Wilcox, Olivia Wilcox, Maggie Wilcox, Thien Le, Camden Le, and Andrist Le; sister-in-law Ann Durben of Osage, IA, and brother-in-law Leo of McIntire, IA.  In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents and grandson, Christian Wilcox.

Tom was a lifelong member of First Congregational Church of Mantorville, now Stonebridge Community Church.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 14, 2023, at Stonebridge Community Church, formerly the First Congregational Church, 515 Walnut St Mantorville, MN, with Pastor Paul Singleton and Pastor Peter Moen officiating.  A visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, January 13, 2023, at Czaplewski Family Funeral Homes, 801 7th St SE Kasson, MN, and one hour prior to the service at the church.  Inurnment will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Mantorville, MN.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Stonebridge Community Church, Mantorville.

To share a special memory or condolence please visit www.czaplewskifuneralhomes.com, Czaplewski Family Funeral Homes, 801 7th St SE Kasson, MN 55944 (507)634-6510. Blessed be his memory.