Tom Lebeda, 84, of Murdo, went to his eternal home on Jan. 29, 2017, after a lengthy struggle with cancer and Parkinson’s.
Funeral services were Thursday, Feb. 2, at 11 a.m., at Messiah Lutheran Church in Murdo, with visitation at 10 a.m. Burial was in the Murdo Cemetery.
Tom was born Oct. 24, 1932, in Murdo, where he grew up and lived most of his life. After graduating from Murdo High School, Tom joined the Army, spending some time in Korea during the war.
He was united in marriage to Venetta “Jody” Tracy in Murdo on June 18, 1965, and they raised two children, Charles Robert and Marci Dee. Tom was a farmer, rancher and construction worker. He was an active member of Messiah Lutheran Church, the American Legion and the VFW. He was on the Murdo City Council when the rural pipeline was in its beginning stages, and also served on the Murdo Cemetery Board for many years.
Tom was a soft-spoken man with a rock solid faith in God, a living example to all who knew him, especially to his family. As long as he was able, Tom worked on the farm, enjoying calving season and nursing his cows. He was very family oriented, and his favorite times were spent with his grandchildren, teaching them to ride horses, fish, hunt, and the value of working to get what you want.
He is survived by Venetta, his wife of 52 years; son, Charles “Chuck” of Murdo; daughter, Marci (Paul) Farmer of Letcher; five grandchildren; a brother, Fred Lebeda of Michigan; and sisters, Julia Broecher of Murdo, Annabelle McDaniels of Rapid City, Betty Beck of Pierre, and Leone Kreager of Valley, Neb.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents; eight siblings; and one grandson, Aaron Lebeda.