Thomas W. Calkins

Tom was born May 19, 1929, in Menominee, son of the late Stewart and Carrie (Armstrong) Calkins. Tom was a resident of Aurora and Kingsford for most of his life and graduated from Kingsford High School in 1947.

Tom was raised as a farmer and bought the farm from his parents before marrying his late wife Lois Ann (VanGinkle) on Oct. 27, 1956.

They made a life together raising six children on the farm. He worked the farm, and then, as the family grew, he added being a millwright at the Niagara Paper Mill well over 30 years until his retirement 1992. His sons remember how well he could maneuver a tractor and hay wagon into the smallest available space.

He loved to sing, and he used his talents performing in a barbershop quartet and in the church choir. He also enjoyed traveling, taking rides in the country, snowmobiling, playing games with friends and working on projects in his workshops. He made shelves and storage places for any nook and cranny available. He was a longtime member of Immanuel Baptist Church and later Grace Bible. He enjoyed his time in God’s Word and Bible Study groups.

After his children were raised, he still enjoyed doing construction projects, which led him into mission work at Lake Ellen Bible Camp and Wycliffe Bible Translators in Dallas. He would work in the woodshop and did maintenance, using his abilities to serve others and his God.

Their home was often filled with their children and grandchildren for dinners, and the grands enjoyed their sleepovers. Grandpa enjoyed eating ice cream and popcorn. Somehow his bowl was always enormous compared to the grandkids’ bowls, and he wouldn’t share, so Grandma would step in with more! He had a unique smirk and smile that will be missed. When things didn’t go quite right, we would usually hear in his very deep, nasally voice “Well, good grief!”

He is survived by his children, Roland (Marie) Calkins of Aurora, Merlin (Julia) Calkins of Kingsford, Loren (Lenore) Calkins of Keizer, Ore., Norman Calkins (Jessica Dean) of Kingsford, and Raylene McDonald (Tom Boltz) of Crandon, Wis.; 13 grandchildren, Tracie, Travis, Arminda, R. Evan, Celeste, Zachary, Abigail, Hannah, Jessica, Ashley, Mark, Matthew, Bradley; and 24 great-grandchildren.

Tom was preceded in death by Lois, his wife of nearly 65 years on Oct. 17, 2021; a daughter, Marchia DelForge; a granddaughter, Stephanie; a great-grandson, Salem, his daughter-in-law, Kathy Calkins and his son-in-law, Rick McDonald. He was also preceded in death by two sisters, Elsie Wallace and Ruth Anglemyer, and a brother, Vernon Calkins.

Visitation will be on July 8 from 10: to 11:30 a.m. at Norway Evangelical Church in Norway. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the church. The burial will take place at the Iron Mountain Cemetery Park.

Condolences may be expressed to the family of Thomas W. Calkins online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com.

The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon and Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the arrangements.