Tom’s lifelong journey has truly been eventful. He was born to Oren and Alvina (Solum) Ellingson on January 10, 1944, and attended Spring Grove Public Schools. He excelled in athletics (football, basketball, and baseball) and continued his studies and athletics at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. After graduating in 1966, Tom joined the US Navy and attended basic training and flight school in Pensacola, Fla. While in training in Meridian, Miss. Tom married Jean Robinson, who he met at Luther College. Since this was the era of the Vietnam war, Tom deployed to An Thoi, Vietnam, and served there for one year. He was actually in Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive but spent most of his time in the Mekong Delta area. After returning stateside, he served as a battalion commander at the Great Lakes Naval Recruit Training Center in Waukegan, Ill., until his release.
Tom then had a career in human resources with both 3M Company and Sperry Univac. He had many opportunities to travel worldwide for his job, with regular trips to Rome, Baghdad, Johannesburg, and many other locations. He even moved his family to Amsterdam, Holland, for a three-year assignment. Since he relished his years growing up in Spring Grove, he moved his family there in 1985 and stayed there until his death, moving to his beloved Ellingson family farm in Riceford for the last 25 years. His journey ended under Hospice care for cancer on December 10, 2020.
Supporting Spring Grove high school athletics was one of Tom’s favorite things to do. He could be seen at most football and basketball games. He served on the Spring Grove Board of Education, was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, and belonged to the Spring Grove Veterans of Foreign Wars, where he volunteered to play taps at the funerals of many veterans. He was also an avid genealogy buff for the Solum and Ellingson families.
Tom is survived by two children, Karen Ellingson Cornella (Shawn) of Spring Grove, and David Ellingson of Bradenton, Fla.; two grandchildren, Oliver and Everlee Cornella; three brothers, Charles (Audrey), Mark (PJ), and Dean (Jennifer); many nieces and nephews, and his former wife and caregiver, Jean Ellingson.
Due to the COVID pandemic, private funeral services will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring Grove, with burial at the church cemetery. The funeral service may be viewed on Trinity Lutheran Facebook Live (TrinityLutheranSG) at 11:30 a.m. on December 13.