TORRINGTON – Funeral services for Thomas D. Nighswonger, 83, will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at the First Congregational Church with the Rev. Matt Gordon officiating. Burial will follow in the Valley View Cemetery.
Tom died May 23, 2018, at Goshen Healthcare Community Alzheimer Unit.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the First Congregational Church or the Goshen Healthcare Community Alzheimer Unit. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements are by the Colyer Funeral Home and condolences may be sent to www.colyerfuneralhome.com.
Tom was born Oct. 23, 1934, in Kimball, Neb., the son of Harvey and Ada (Rathman) Nighswonger. He started school at the age of four at the Gabrock School, often riding his tricycle to school. He graduated LaGrange High School in 1951. He worked the wheat harvest for a couple of years.
He met Shirley Brockel at a street dance. They were married on Sept. 19, 1954, in Torrington. They moved to Torrington, where he worked at Valley Mercantile for a time before he attended one year at Chadron State College before going to work at the University of Nebraska experiment farm.
The couple moved to a farm on Sheep Creek, which they later bought, farming there until 2005 when they moved into Torrington.
Tom enjoyed playing cards, polka dancing, baseball, farming and model trains. He was especially proud of and enjoyed spending time with his family, mainly his grandchildren.
Tom is survived by his wife Shirley of Torrington; sons Ron (Becky) Nighswonger, Terry (Diane) Nighswonger and Steve (Julie) Nighswonger all of Torrington; a daughter Cindy (Mort) Tillman of Wheatland; a sister Donna (Bob) Hadley of Cheyenne; brothers Larry (Sharon) Nighswonger of Torrington and Leonard (Bobbi) Nighswonger of Loveland, Colo.; 10 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two nephews; a niece; a sister-in-law; and two brothers-in-law.
