Thomas F. Geselschap

Mr. Thomas Frederick Geselschap, 92 ( Mr. Tom to me) Mr. Tom was born August 1,1945 to Thomas S. Geselschap (5-24-1897 to 5-15-1964) and Dena Van Oort Geselschap (12-11-1900 to 4-14-1992) Mr. Tom Graduated from Orange City High School in Iowa 1945. Then he joined the Navy where he did his bootcamp in Great Lakes Naval Command. Mr. Tom got to travel all over, he even served some time on " boat " as he called it. The USS MISSOURI - Mighty Moe. Mr. Tom served from 1945 to around 1952. Mr. Tom also worked for Cudahy Meat Packing in the 60's Mr. Tom got married to his first wife Marjorie Denouden (11-12-1931 to 11-28-2018) in 1953 or 1954 and had a son Mark A. Geselschap of Omaha Nebraska. Marge and Mr. Tom divorced in 1969. Mr. Tom got married to Elaine A. Empkey ( 8-27-1924 to 1-16-2016) in 1972. Thomas F. Geselschap was survived by his Loving Son Mark A. Geselschap of Omaha, also survived by his Loving step daughter Kathryn Carlson of Florida also 5 Grandkids and several Great grand kids. Mr. Tom was a member of the Bella Vista Baptist Church here in Bella Vista Arkansas. Mr Tom will be missed and loved by many friends. Tom Geselschap was born in Orange City Iowa on August 1, 1927.Tom was not the ordinary father! For as long as I can remember, he loved to do projects of all kinds!These projects consisted of several things that we could conjure up! From cleaning gravel in fish tanks to laying under a train table wiring miniature lights.Not to mention, working and designing a motor that would feed the fish at a predetermined time!Fiber optics provided a load of laughs as well as taking things apart to see what makes them tick, along with dismantling computer tape drives and disk packs to salvage the aluminum.We made enough money to buy a furnace for the church parsonage here in Omaha! Dad loved to work with kids, listening to verses for the Awana clubs, both in Omaha and Bella Vista, Arkansas. We loved sledding down the hill in the winter at Memorial Park in Omaha, which was a lot of walking as well as a lot of fun.We enjoyed trips to California and going into the ocean. He actually broke his toe in the surf! Dad worked as a computer operator and I would go to the office and run the machine that would print the checks while he did other things.I would also mount and remove the disk packs on the drives.These were times when information was stored on punch cards.They would have to be loaded onto the sorter and sorted several times.He would handle two to three hundred cards at a time. I would also take the time to sort rubber bands and paper clips.They would tangle within each other and be a big mess! We changed oil on the cars as well as keeping them clean. Wiring was no exception.We wired 3- and 4-way switches so floodlights could be controlled from the shed which were on the house.We installed attic fans and attic lights as well as banging in walls that needed outlets in them.Drywall was not one of our best projects, so we would put paneling over them.We even put an aquarium in a wall made out of plywood.When I bought my house, we made a small workshop on an outside porch and built a small storage shed with a garage type door.We installed a garage door opener in my garage as well as a garage door.Their house in Omaha also had a storage shed with a garage door opener and a way to open it from the outside in case of opener failure. When dad moved to Bella Vista, he and some friends from Bella Vista Baptist Church started Movers INC. They would get together and help people in the church move from one house to another.I remember one time we were following a trailer that only had a small bungie cord holding up the gate.If you are acquainted with hills, this was a challenge as we were not sure how long that cord would hold up!We Also had a cooler in the van and were not sure if something would crawl out of there!It was come to be known as the "science project"! For the house in Orange City, IA., we made a pump to pump the cesspool which is the grey water from the kitchen.At that time, we used the outhouse as there was no indoor plumbing. Later on, there was an outhouse which was much better!We also rebuilt his whizzer motor bike, I will never forget the homemade gas tank which was open at the top.There was not a helmet law at that time. Dad loved to save wood.When we cleaned out the storage area under the house there was two- and one-half tons under there.The attic was cleaned out as well as the basement.He had a sale in November of 2018 which Shelli, the neighbor across the street, helped with.Shelli called dad Mr. Tom.She agreed to be on his call list for his fall alert which he received free.Shelli loved to come over and visit with him.Dad always loved Shelli's visits.They really had a lot of laughs together.Dad loved his egg drop soup which he could eat through a straw.Living in Bella Vista also means trees and leaves.Dad had a leaf blower strapped to his back and would blow the leaves onto the tarp and drag to the woods.Once when he was blowing leaves he fell backwards over some rocks.I know that he hurt his tailbone which caused the spine to be shoved into the base of the skull.He didn't become completely crippled, but he did have to walk with a cane.His dizziness did not affect his driving and he was still able to do the things he liked.Unable to do woodworking, he moved onto a tablet and cell phone.He received a cell phone from his daughter, Kit Carlson in Florida.He loved to text and send emails from his computer as well as the other devices. We also went to the waterslides in Omaha and spend a lot of time there. In Florida, we loved the Laughing Place, which is better known as Splash Mountain.We went 7 times in a row! This past spring, I decided to retire and spend some time with him.I was in Bella Vista the entire month of June. I drove back down in August and stayed with him.We loved to watch Star Trek TNG and go to Village Inn for his pancake and dippy, jiggly egg.He could not taste as he could only remember what it tasted like but that was no problem for him. We also love Wendy's frosties.Chocolate was his favorite. We went to Branson for a ride on the train.The picture on the front of your pamphlet is of him taken in Branson.We went to the War Eagle Mill and admired the huge millstones in front of the building.When we were in Siloam Springs, we were going to see the Passion Play, but it was too cold to attend as it was going to be 35 and rainy.I did not want him to get sick so we just returned to Bella Vista.Eventually, I knew it would be difficult to tell him he was unable to live by himself anymore.He had thought we were going to start and do some kind of filing, but I had to convince him that we were past that point.We boxed up all of the files and came back to Omaha for his last time.The remaining items in the house were either sold or donated.Katie received the corner china cabinet.Other items were put into storage.Duane Horseman and I went down the following Saturday and got the items from storage.That trip was in 1 day.Believe it or not, I had to go back down to Bella Vista to turn in the leased cable box, as they needed a power of attorney. I don't think dad wanted to go back, but he didn't have to, as he was admitted to the Veteran’s Hospital in Omaha, the Friday after Thanksgiving.Dad was transferred to the VA in Grand Island, NE.I went to Grand Island for a couple of days and stayed in the TravelLodge, not too far from the hospital. There was a real nice restaurant next to the TravelLodge, called Tommy's. Great chicken, hamburgers and french fries along with biscuits and gravy! Delicious!Two weeks ago, dad was put into hospice care where they were keeping him comfortable and treating the wounds on his feet.He had not walked since the day after Thanksgiving, as they took him by rescue squad to the VA in Omaha.Pastor John Collins and Mike Stone came to the VA in Omaha for a visit. He was moved from the bed to a chair by a sling, which I knew was very difficult for him. He was transferred by squad to Grand Island VA where he was supposed to be therapy but that was not the Lord's Plan.Our ways are not HIS ways, Praise God!!I knew it would not be long, he had a catheter and there was blood in the urine.It was sometime after 3:30 P.M. that he was ushered into eternity!In the words of Terri Urich,"PRAISE THE LORD!THANK YOU, JESUS,!"Dad loved his little red blankie and his little lamb.You put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and it heats up.The sign was over the garage door of their house.He was a remarkable man! I will greatly miss him, but I spent 4 months with him and we had such a great time.We never know when we will be called home.Be sure to make time to spend with those that you love. You will never regret it!For Thomas F. Geselschap, his loving son, Mark.