Thomas Lawson Rymer
Thomas Lawson Rymer passed away on June 16, 2023 at the Osage Beach Rehab in Osage Beach Missouri.
Tom was born on February 20, 1934 at St. Vincent Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. At the age of 6 weeks, he was adopted by a loving couple, Claude Lawson Rymer and Esta Jane Nicholson Rymer. He grew up in Raytown Missouri. Going to grade school and high school there till his junior year at which time his folks purchased the Holden Furniture store and moved. He finished high school in Holden graduating with the class of 1952. Tom was in the FFA, senior play, and played football for the Holden Eagles. He had been a cub scout and a boy scout. He was an honorary warrior of the Tribe of the Micosay.
Tom worked with his folks in the furniture business. After graduation he attended college in Columbia for a short time and then decided to join the Navy. He went into the Navy and served 3 years 8 months and 27 days. This was during the Korean Conflict. He took his basic training at San Diego, California and was then stationed at Norfolk, Virginia. A lot of this time was spent out to sea going to different countries. His ship was the USS Cambria APA 36. He was honorably and medically discharged.
After coming home from the Navy he married his high school sweetheart, Patsy Lee Early on November 24, 1956 at the Elm Springs Baptist Church. They are the parents of four children; Sherry, Darrell, Bruce and Brenda.
He continued to work in the furniture store until after his parents passed away at that time he went on the road selling furniture for different furniture companies. While in Holden he was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Holden Gun Club, past Master and Secretary of Holden Masonic Lodge 262 and received his fifty year pin, the Ararat Shrine and the VFW Post #5844. He was assistant cub scout leader of troop 403. He had also received his auctioneers certificate.
In 1979 they moved to Stover and ran the Buffalo Cove Marina for the next 5 years. During that time he became a substitute rural mail carrier for Stover. He also worked part time for West Central Rural Development and a short time in real estate. In 1986 he got a permanent mail route that was out of Salisbury and Glasgow and he then went to Clark, Missouri and then got a route at Edwards and finished out his postal career at the Edwards office. He was a rural carrier chaplain for nine years, a union facilitator for several years and past president of the Benton County Rural Carriers. They moved to Edwards and then to Warsaw. He was a member of the American Legion Post #217, the Shawnee Masonic Lodge 653 and the NRA. He also kept his memberships at Holden with the VFW and Masonic Lodge.
Tom liked having a garden and had a green thumb for having the prettiest flowers around the house, he also liked to work on projects out in the shop. He loved to deer hunt and go fishing. He loved spending time with his family. He also loved the Lord. He was a member of the Cedar Grove Baptist Church and had been a deacon for about twenty five years and also chairman. He taught a Sunday School class at one time. He and Pat took care of the flag at the church for over twenty-five years, raising and lowering as needed and also repairing as needed. They along with other church members went on mission trips to other states to help work on churches. He loved to go out to the Baptist Ridge Camp and mow or what ever needed done. Someone told him one time that he needed to change his address as he was out at the camp more than he was at home. He was on the Camp board and chairman for several years. Tom had the honor of going on the Honor Flight to Washington D.C. He had the privilege of going to New York after 911 to help out at Statin Island. He went to Minnesota to help during the big flood they had. He was a volunteer for the Missouri Disaster Relief team and went to the Joplin area during the terrible tornadoes they had years ago.
Tom never met a stranger. If you had a service hat on he would more likely stop you and say hello. He was very proud of the time he served as a Navy man and Rural Letter Carrier and he flew his American flag with pride and honor, he wouldn’t hesitate to let you know if you were not displaying the American flag properly.
Tom is survived by his wife, Pat, of sixty six and ½ years. Four children; Sherry Wilson, of Holden, Darrell Rymer and wife Andrea of Mary Esther, Florida, Bruce Rymer and wife Malinda of Eldon, Missouri and Brenda Webb and husband Ray of Versailles, Missouri, nine grandchildren; Terra Ethridge (Jeremy), Nikki Schwarten (Jon), Kelli Angle (William), Kelsey Rymer, Justin Webb (Rachel), Landon Rymer (Lisa), Joshua Webb, Jessica Webb, Dillon Wilson, fifteen great grandchildren; Anna, Ben, Wally, Lilly, Emma, Jackson, Nate, Henley, Nova, Cooper, Granger, Hallie, Nic, Jaxtyn and King.
Funeral Services for Tom Rymer were held Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at the Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Warsaw. Military and Masonic Rites were held Thursday, June 22, 2023 at the Elm Springs Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Cedar Grove Baptist Church Children’s Ministry or the Baptist Ridge Camp c/o the Reser Funeral Home P.O. Box 910 Warsaw, Missouri 65355.
