March 28, 2024

Thomas W. ‘Tom’ Everist

Thomas W. “Tom” Everist, 82, of Lynnville passed away on Saturday, July 6, 2013, at his home.

Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Grinnell First Baptist Church with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Cremation will follow the visitation, and a graveside memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell with the Rev. Linda Bergeon of the Grinnell First Baptist Church officiating. Military honors will be given by the Grinnell American Legion. Memorials may be made to the Grinnell First Baptist Church or the Lynnville Fire Department.

Thomas W. Everist was born on Feb. 4, 1931, in Williamsburg to William F. and Eleanor M. Jones Everist. He attended school in Williamsburg before joining the U.S. Air Force in 1950. He served for three years and was stationed in West Palm Beach and San Antonio. On Sept. 17, 1952, he was united in marriage to Barbara Jeanne Wilkinson in Lake Worth, Fla. They returned to Iowa in 1954 and settled in Grinnell in 1961. He worked for a road construction crew and was involved in the construction of Interstate 80, Hwy 218 and Lake Red Rock. On Sept. 15, 1979, Tom married Sandra Hudson at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. He was a truck driver for Miracle Recreation and Manatt’s and was a maintainer operator for Jasper County, retiring in 1996. After his retirement, he drove part-time for the Wehrle Trucking Company.

Tom was a long-time member of the Grinnell First Baptist Church where he had served as a deacon. He was also a member of the Grinnell American Legion, Lynnville Fire Department, Jasper County 911 Board, Grinnell I.O.O.F. and Prairie Knolls Country Club. Tom enjoyed golfing, adding to his die cast Caterpillar collection and auto racing, having received a NASCAR driver certification in 1953. Tom found great enjoyment in listening to old-time country music and watching RFD-TV and New Yankee Workshop on PBS. He could usually be found sitting in his garage surveying all the activity in his neighborhood. A man of many talents, Tom could always be counted on to help with repairs and improvements of any kind.

His memory is honored by his wife, Sandy of Lynnville; his two daughters, Sherry Bowers of Des Moines and Lori (Glenn) Lureman of Newton; two step-sons, Todd (Angie) Van Wyk and Troy Van Wyk of Lynnville; and a step-daughter, Tara (Travis) Carrico of New Sharon. Also honoring his memory are his brother, Donald C. (Patty) Everist of Cedar Rapids; four grandchildren, Marcie (Chris) Hasty of Johnston, Tandace Lureman of Dallas, Texas, Kourtney Van Wyk of Grinnell, Jenna Carrico of New Sharon; and five great-grandchildren, Ethan Mitchell, Braden and Nathan Hasty and Ava and Maci Morris.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents; two infant siblings, John F. and Eleanor F. Everist, his first wife Barbara in 1976; a son-in-law, Edd W. “Wally” Bowers in 2009; and a grandson, Jace Carrico in 2008.