THOMAS ROBERT
THOMAS ROBERT BIBLE
Thomas Robert Bible, 87, passed away at the Meadowbrook Nursing Home in Black River Falls Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
Tom was born Sept. 24, 1937, in Disco, WI, on the family farm to Robert and Pearl (Sharp) Bible. He went to grade school in Disco where his mom, Pearl, was his teacher. Tom went to high school and graduated in 1958 from Black River Falls. He was the class president, involved in FFA and a great athlete excelling in football, basketball and track and field. He held the school record for the 220-yard dash with 23.8 seconds from 1956 to 1971. In 1955, he made it to the state track and field meet for the 220-yard dash and the 880-yard relay. After high school, Tom attended UW- Eau Claire in the fall of 1956, where he lettered in football. He realized college wasn’t for him and went to North Carolina where he took a specialized course in handling and operating heavy equipment.
On Dec. 2, 1958, Tom drove to Sacramento, CA, where Jessie Fisher was working for the telephone company, picked her up, and they were married in Nevada Dec. 7, 1958. They were married for 65 years.
Tom lived in the Black River Falls area his entire adult life. He started working for Hoffman Construction as an operator and was a member of the Wisconsin Operating Engineers Local 139. Around 1964, he bought a business putting in septic systems. He also dug house basements and dug graves for several local cemeteries. Later, he bought out Johnson Disposal where he owned and operated several garbage trucks with routes in the Black River Falls area - both business and residential. Tom bought some land and opened up the Jackson County Landfill and later sold the operation in 1987. In 1981, he became a grower/owner of Ocean Spray by purchasing a cranberry marsh and expanded it to 32 acres. In 1990, he was the founder of the Tilden Mound Development. He started the Brockway Cranberry marsh in 1993. In the early 90s, he went back to Hoffman Construction as a heavy equipment operator.
In the winter months, Tom lived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from 1985-2019. There he enjoyed entertaining guests, cranberry margaritas and pontooning around the canal system. Back home, Tom liked going to auctions where he found old equipment, such as steam engines and thrashing machines. He loved taking his old farm equipment to the Strum Steam Engine Days and demonstrating them. He collected antique tractors - the Cockshot, Marshall and Co-ops, which is a good indicator how he ended up with the nickname, Tractor Tom. In the 1970s Tom and Jessie started a winter recreation area called Double R Ranch. You could rent a Rupp snowmobile, sled, ski and ice skate. In the summer months, it was a golf driving range. He was the Jackson County Fair Board president from 1977 until 1982. Tom also raised buffalo and teams of work horses. In his other spare time, he was an avid sports fan and was even a season ticket-holder for the Minnesota Vikings in 1970 until 1982. Above all, he will be remembered as a great role model and loving and caring father and grandfather.
He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, David Bible.
Tom is survived by his wife, Jessie; sons James Bible and Roger (Julie Dobbs) Bible, both of Black River Falls; grandchildren James Bible the II of Neenah, Rachel (Chad) Kenyon of Bloomfield, IA, Ethan Bible of Eden Prairie, MN, Emma Bible of Dubuke, IA, Christian (Carah Bunnell) Bible of Menasha; and great-grandchildren Adrian Bible, Tristan Bible, Brekken Bible and Clayton Bible.
Funeral services for Tom will take place at a later date.
The Buswell Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements, 715-284-2231.