Thomas W. Tipsword, age 86 of North of Old Ripley, passed away at 3:56 p.m. Monday, January 21, 2019 at Hillsboro Rebab.
Funeral services will be held at Noon on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at the Donnell-Wiegand Funeral Home with Pastor Matt Mendenhall officiating. Interment will follow in Brown Cemetery with Full Military Honors by American Legion Post # 713 of Sorento, now Pocahontas American Legion Post # 1104, assisted by V.F.W. Post 1377 of Greenville. Masonic Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning at Donnell-Wiegand by Madison Masonic Lodge # 560 A.F. & A.M. of New Douglas and its affiliates. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. Saturday until service time. For those who desire memorials in Tom’s memory may be made to the Bond County Humane Society or to Brown Cemetery at Donnell-Wiegand.
Tommy William Tipsword, the son of T. Harley and Martha B. (Clanton)Tipsword, was born Sept. 9, 1932 in Old Ripley Twp where he grew up. He served in the United States Army with the 10th Inf —–Tank Co. in Germany, 1953 and 54. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal/Army of the Occupation Medal/Germany. In civilian life, he was a member of the Laborers International Union of North America Local # 1084. He was a member of Kessinger Post 713 Sorento Legion, Illinois Trappers Assoc. and a fifty+ year member of the Sorento Masonic Lodge # 861. He also raised sheep many years and was an avid outdoors man.
Tommy is survived by nieces: Arlene Nichol, Julie Schroeder, Elaine Branscome, Millie Reinkensmeyer, Evelyn Pope, Linda Parker, Joan Kakac, Frances Mollett , Barbara Hall and Carrie Reincke, and nephews: Edwin Landolt, Allan Tipsword and Kevin Tipsword.
Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, and is the last of his generation of 10 children including: sisters Shirley Tipsword, Lucinda (Lee) Landolt, Lillian (Ray) Caulk, Mayme, (Jake) Traub, Bernice (Robert) Towell, Charlene (George) Frueh, Julia Ann Tipsword at age six, and brothers: Julius F. (Selma) Tipsword and Harley A. (Wanda) Tipsword. And nephews: Robert Towell, Gordon Traub, and Carl Huber, great niece Joan Nichol and great-great nephew Kenton Scoggins.
