Leonard Tuma

Leonard Tuma, 91, of Farwell, died Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, at the Rose Lane Home in Loup City, with his wife, of almost sixty-five years, at his side. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Peters Funeral Home in St. Paul. The Rev. Randall L. Dilts will officiate. Burial will be in the Bohemian National Cemetery near Elba. Visitation will be Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Mr. Tuma was born on Feb. 20, 1921, in the family sod house north of Farwell, near Elba, the son of Jacob and Mary (Tuma) Tuma. He was the youngest of sixteen children. He was united in marriage to Ione Genevia Zimmerman on March 31, 1948, at Staples, Minnesota. To this union three sons were born: Lemanuel Alan, Kenneth Steven and Clayton Gabriel. He is survived by his wife, Ione, of Loup City; two sons and one daughter-in-law, Ken and Deb Tuma of Cheyenne, WY and Clayton Tuma of Farwell; and two sisters, Gustie Albers of Spokane, WA and Clara Pawloski of St. Paul. He is also survived by 4 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. Leonard entered a world where Bohemian was spoken on the family farm, which never had electricity. He attended school through the eighth grade at District No. 52. In 1939, Leonard worked at Camp Halsey with the Conservation Corps, where he made local news when he walked home to the farm to see his mother. He then farmed his parents farm until he began working for the Union Pacific Railroad in Oct. 1945. He achieved his retirement in Cheyenne, Wyoming on Sept. 16, 1982. The couple retired to Farwell where he operated a hobby salvage iron yard for twelve years, where he enjoyed old cars, horse drawn wagons and machinery while listening to polka music. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Lemanuel; five brothers, Jake, Adolph, Frank, John and James Tuma; and eight sisters, Albina Tuma, Anna Vincik, Caroline Vincik, Bessie Senseny, Millie Kelley, Josephine Brahatcek, Mary Horky and Lizzie Jares. Memorials are suggested to the St. Paul Senior Center.