Thomas G. Vance
Sept. 12, 1948 - March 12, 2015
Thomas George Vance of Pleasant Dale was born in Nebraska City on Sept. 12, 1948, to Joseph L. and Hazel P. (Miller) Vance, the youngest of four children, and passed away on Thursday, March 12, 2015, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha at the age of 66 years.
As a young boy he attended Pleasant Dale Public School and graduated with the Class of 1967 from Milford High School. Tom enlisted in the Marine Corps and served in Vietnam as a radioman.
Upon his discharge in 1970, Tom returned to Nebraska. He began a career with Lincoln Telephone and Telegraph as a lineman.
Tom was united in marriage to Carla Jo Merrill on Oct. 2, 1970, in Pleasant Dale at the United Methodist Church. To this union three children were born: John, Staci and James.
Together they made their home in Pleasant Dale. Tom retired from Lincoln Telephone and Telegraph (Alltel) in 2000. In his retirement he set up a woodworking shop and enjoyed making many projects. Tom also worked for the Village of Pleasant Dale and Pleasant Dale Lumber handling their deliveries and other duties.
He was an avid baseball fan playing as a youngster and later attending Kansas City Royals, Lincoln Salt Dog games and watching his grandson play ball. Tom enjoyed going with his family on camping trips. Recently he began to enjoy western novels – Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour were his favorite authors.
He loved to travel and enjoyed many trips to Branson and never missed any of the first cousins’ reunions. Music was an important part of his life and he learned to play the 4-string banjo, enjoying forming a family “band.”
Tom was a life-time member of the Pleasant Dale American Legion Post 354, served on the Pleasant Dale Volunteer Fire Department since 1971, and the United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Carla Jo; children and spouses, John “Jake” and Tami Vance, Staci and Tom Temme and Jim Vance and fiancé DeAnn Duffek, all of Pleasant Dale; three grandchildren, Thomas Vance, Stephen Vance and Jadyn Temme; brother and sister-in-law, Joe Jr. and Nancy Vance, Grand Island; sisters and brothers-in-law, Jeannie Davis and Gary Mechtenberg, Burbank, South Dakota, and Dorothy and Kenneth Kremer, Milford; mother-in-law, Dodie Bales, Fairbury; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Diane and Norman Lalumandier, Council Bluffs, Iowa; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Louis “Lewie” and Caryn Bales and Ron and Linda Bales, all of Fairbury; nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of other relatives and friends.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Hazel Vance, and fathers-in-law, John Merrill and Lewis “Sonny” Bales.
A funeral service was held March 17, 2015, at the Milford United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jeff Kelley officiating. Interment was in the Pleasant Dale Cemetery with military services conducted by the Pleasant Dale American Legion.
Memorials may be directed in care of the family for later distribution.
