Thomas E. (Sr.) Hemstock

     Thomas E. Hemstock Sr., 101, passed away Wednesday, February 24th, 2021 at the Morrow Memorial Home.

     He was born on June 20th, 1919 in Burns township, La Crosse County, Wisconsin to Thomas C. Hemstock and Ida (Barstow) Hemstock.  He graduated from Sparta High School in 1937.

Tom married Alta Emery on Sept. 15, 1939 in the Sparta Methodist parsonage. 

      Tom is survived by a son, Tom Jr. (Ellen) and a daughter, Sherri (John) LaCourse; and a sister, Gladys Nichols. He is also survived by his four grandchildren: Michael LaCourse of Portland, Oregon; Jason LaCourse of La Crosse, Wisconsin; Anne Hemstock (Mike Olvera) of Appleton, Wisconsin and Brian Hemstock of Chicago, Illinois. 

     He was preceded in death by his parents; Alta, his wife of 58 years; an infant son, Harvey Thomas; an infant daughter, Lori Lynn; three brothers: Cecil, Harry, and Don Hemstock; a sister, Fay Schlaver; two brothers-in-law: Louis Schlaver and Floyd Nichols; and three sisters-in-law: Midge (Cecil) Hemstock, Ruth (Harry) Hemstock and Loyes (Don) Hemstock.

      Tom started the Hemstock Bros. Concrete Products plant with his brother, Cecil, in 1947. The plant was in business until 1976.  He served 2 years in WWII in the European theatre as a member of Company A of the 86th Chemical Mortar Battalion. 

     Tom was very active in the Sparta community.  Tom was Past Master of Masonic Valley Lodge No. 60 in Sparta; Life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 2112; a Zor Shriner; member of Mecca Shrine Club, Odd Fellows, Spartan Lodge No. 94 and Elks Lodge No. 1795, Fort Walton Beach.  Tom served for many years as Chairman of various committees of the Sparta United Methodist Church.  For several years, he was President of the Morrow Memorial Home Board and served on the Building Committees and as chairman of the Finance Committee.  Tom was also active in the Sparta Industrial Foundation and served 2 terms as President of the Sparta Chamber of Commerce.  He was on the Board of Directors of Western Federal Savings and Loan and was President of the Board until he retired in 1976. He was also on the Board of Sparta Manufacturing.

     Tom was an avid golfer – he and Alta lived in Ft. Walton Beach, FL so that he could pursue this passion year-round for many of his 45 years of retirement.  He also enjoyed gardening, spending summers in Wisconsin tending his tomatoes and other crops.  He loved to dance and belonged to a Dance Group with his wife which met once a month on Saturday nights with numerous Sparta couples. The family likes to think that he is now able to dance again and has rejoined the rest of the group on a heavenly dance floor. 

    Thank you to the Morrow Memorial Home staff for their care of Tom through the years. 

     A Celebration of Life will be held from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 27, 2021 at Jake’s Northwoods, Sparta. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sparta United Methodist Church, the Morrow Memorial Home Foundation or Gundersen Medical Foundation. Online condolences may be offered at www.schanhoferfh.com

     Lanham-Schanhofer Funeral Home and Cremation, Sparta, is assisting the family with arrangements.

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