Wilford Tomky
Wilford Duane Tomky was born Dec. 20, 1932, in Brush to Herman D. and Thecla (Briding) Tomky. Wilford died Saturday morning, Nov. 30, 2019, at the Wauneta Care and Therapy Center in Wauneta, Nebraska. He was 86 years of age.
As a young man he grew up near Brush, assisting his family on the farm and graduating from Brush High School in 1951. He gained employment with Colorado Constructors Inc. of Denver after high school.
Wilford entered the U.S. Army in February of 1953, serving during the Korean War. He was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Division’s 2nd Infantry Regiment shooting team, which won international contests over marksmen from the British, French, Belgian, Danish and Luxembourg armies. Wilford was stationed in Alaska during the building of the DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line, radar stations built for detecting Russian aircraft.
After his honorable discharge in 1955, Wilford married Genevieve Lila Wulfekuhle on Dec. 27, 1961, at St. Olaf’s Catholic Church in Elbow Lake, Minnesota, and to this union four children were born: Jim, Bill, Susan and Ken.
The couple settled in Olney Springs, where they farmed until moving to the Lamar, Nebraska, area in 1972. Wilford and Genevieve made the Lamar area their home, farming and raising their children.
Wilford was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church of Imperial, Nebraska, and Holyoke. He was a former Farm Bureau board member. Wilford enjoyed gun collecting and marksman shooting, in which he excelled, and was an avid arrowhead collector. Wilford especially loved his time with his family and friends.
Wilford was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Genevieve in 2017; brothers, Herman Tomky and wife Mary and Orville Tomky and wife Loretta; sisters, Phyllis Chali and husband Tony, Thelma Tomky, and Norma Pearson and husband Earl.
Survivors include his sons, Jim Tomky and wife Mary of Amherst, Bill Tomky and wife Chris of Lamar, and Ken Tomky and wife Janet of Lamar; daughter, Susan Castle and husband Larry of Imperial; grandchildren, Stephanie Ramsey, A.J. Tomky, Elizabeth Tomky, Joseph Tomky, Mindy Mansfield, Dawn Castle, Evan Tomky and Aidan Tomky; and eight great-grandchildren.
A rosary was recited Dec. 8 at St. Patrick Catholic Church of Holyoke. The Mass of Christian Burial was held Dec. 9 at St. Patrick Catholic Church of Holyoke, with Father Jerry Rohr and Father Bernard Lorenz celebrating. Interment followed at the Greenlawn Cemetery in rural Lamar.
A memorial has been suggested to St. Patrick Catholic Church of Holyoke.
Online condolences may be left at liewerfuneralhome.com.
Liewer Funeral Home in Imperial was entrusted with the arrangements.