Evans Funeral Home
314 E Main St
Norwalk, OH 44857
Phone: 419-668-1469
Website: http://www.norwalkfuneral.com/obituaries.php
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Thomas Karl Kromer, 97, of Norwalk passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at his home on May 30, 2023. He was the first of 14 children born to Theresa (Leimeister) and Aaron Kromer at home in Castalia, Ohio on June 11, 1925. In addition to his parents, his grandfather, grandmother and an aunt and uncle all welcomed him to their homestead.
He was a graduate of Margaretta High School. Tom married his sweetheart Charlotte (nee Weisenberger) at St. Paul's Catholic Church on August 16, 1952. Their wedding reception was held at the Norwalk Memorial Lake Park Clubhouse and their first dance was aptly titled "Let Me Call You Sweetheart". Together, they established Fra-Jo Registered Holsteins Farm. As a successful dairy and grain farmer, he sold his cattle to buyers in Ohio and as far away as Costa Rica, Columbia, Korea and Algiers. In 1984, he was awarded the distinguished Huron County Dairy Association "Breeder of the Year" honor. Gifted for animal husbandry, he could recognize all of his cattle individually by name and personality traits. During his lifetime, Tom saw incredible progress in farming technology; in the 1930's he helped his parents milk cows by hand and now cows are milked automatically by robots. As a child, he helped his father, uncle and grandfather sow and harvest crops with a team of horses and now his sons' tractors are GPS driven. He was fortunate to be able to watch the crop production on his and Charlotte's family farm for more than 70 years.
Tom was a parishioner of St. Anthony's Church in Milan, where he regularly attended Mass with his son and companion, Charles. In addition to the Farm Bureau, he was a member of the Ohio Holstein and the National Holstein Associations. He also served as a director on the Production Credit Association Board in the 1980's and was a member of Milk Marketing Incorporated.
Being the eldest of a large family, Tom became very accustomed to and enjoyed helping his parents with his younger siblings. He relished the liveliness of a big family and had seven children of his own. Surviving Tom is Barbara Smith, Christine (Bruce) Mollison, Millie (Mark) Yost, Frank (Michelle), Roseann (Jack) Mariner, John (Cindy) and Charles; and grandchildren Erin (Mike) Gall, Gwen Bumb, Randall Mollison, Brian, Steve and Mike Yost, Alan Kromer, Cobey, Kyler and Casey Kromer, and Ian and Kelsi Mariner and seven great-grandchildren. He is also survived by brothers, Aaron, Philip and sister, Mary.
Nurturing by nature, he outstandingly nursed his wife through her illness and eventual death from cancer. He was preceded in death by Charlotte in 2006. Also preceding him in death was his son-in-law Le Smith, his brothers Albert, Paul and Joseph and sisters Joan, Madeleine, Kathleen, Esther, Rose and Carol and infant sister Barbara.
Friends may call Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 4:00 - 6:00 P.M. at the Evans Funeral Home, 314 E. Main St., Norwalk. A funeral Mass will be Friday, June 2, 2023, at 11:00 A.M. in St. Anthony Catholic Church, 130 S. Main Street, Milan. Private interment will be held at St. Anthony's Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Artists' Open Studio, 32 E. Main Street, Norwalk, OH 44857.
