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FAIRMONT -- Thomas "Tom" Leroy Tow, 71, of Fairmont, Minn., passed away Thursday morning, July 21, 2022, at his home in Fairmont after a two-year battle with cancer. A celebration of life will be held 2-5 p.m. Sunday, July 31, at the Sylvania Park Shelter House. Burial will be at a later date. Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont is assisting the family with arrangements.
Thomas was born Feb. 3, 1951, in Fairmont, Minn., to Donald and Frances (Anders) Tow. He attended Fairmont schools and graduated with the class of 1969. He worked at Tow Brothers Construction, Tow Brothers Sanitation, Waste Management, and Smith's Greenhouse. On May 21, 1988, Tom married Jennifer Scherer and they made their home on Budd Lake. Tom enjoyed both open water and ice fishing and could clean fish so well there were never any bones. Thomas also bow-hunted for many years. He was interested in pigeons from a young age and for a while kept his own flock of rollers. In fact, he loved all birds and had an amazing ability to identify them by sight and sound. Tom was known for his storytelling and dry humor. He was a giving soul and got great pleasure in sharing his handmade whirligigs, bird spinners, and gourd birdhouses as well as the four-leaf clovers he had a knack of finding. He especially loved sharing the clovers with fellow cancer patients. His greatest joy was spending time with his children and grandchildren and attending their activities. Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 34 years, Jennifer Tow of Fairmont; son, Martin Tow of Fairmont; stepdaughter, Erin Hale (Keith) Cornell of St. Michael, Minn.; three step-grandchildren, Ethan, Abby, and Brock Cornell; siblings, Stephanie (Dennis) Hansen, Cynthia (Jim) Naleid, and Susan (Gary) Harju; uncle, Jim (Sue) Tow; brother-in-law, Peter (Shirley) Scherer; sister-in-law, Mary (Scott) Strampe; as well as nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmother; grandparents; aunts and uncles; mother-in-law; and father-in-law. Memorials can be made to the Lutz Cancer Center or the UHD Hospice, whose nurses were very special to him, or the donor's choice. www.lakeviewfuneralhome.net