Thomas Bergholz

1952 - 2024

Thomas Bergholz

Nov. 24, 1952 - March 20, 2024

MARSHALL - Thomas Bergholz, age 71, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, with his family at his side, after a lengthy battle with liver disease.

Tom was born on November 24, 1952, to Eldon and Shirley Bergholz in Madison. He was one of three children. He married his high school sweetheart Julie (Fankhauser) on October 25, 1975. That same year they would go on to buy and operate the family business, Bergholz Grocery. It was here where you could find their two girls stocking shelves, napping in the isles, and taking candy upstairs before they went to bed. They also operated T & J Deer Processing for 35 years, where hundreds of hunters would have them take care of their harvest year after year. As time went on, Tom and Julie started selling guns in the grocery store and in 1999, they would convert the store into Tom's Guns, where Tom was able to live out his lifelong passion of selling guns and telling hunting stories.

There was no doubt that Tom's pride and joy, were his daughters, Josalyn and Jenelle. He was always quick to tell people about all their accomplishments, especially the ones that took place in the woods. Later in his life many of these stories were accompanied by his grandchildren: Kenzie, Keldon, Chesney and Maddie. He was a proud Papa who treasured his grandkids and loved them very much. Tom was very fond of his sons-in-law, Aaron and Justin, and treated them like his own.

He especially enjoyed going on family vacations. It didn't matter if he was on the pontoon up north or feeding the bears in Gatlinburg, Tom loved the time spent with his family. These trips were always full of laughs and memories to last a lifetime. To say he was passionate about the outdoors would be an understatement. He lived out the lyrics from his favorite song "Pass it On" and left a conservation legacy that will be remembered by many. He and Julie helped introduce over 2000 individuals into the outdoors through their mentoring programs that meant so much to him.

He spent countless hours volunteering his time to many different organizations such as: Wings Over Wisconsin, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Whitetails Unlimited, Marshall Fire Department (where he served as the Chief), and many more. His canine companions were dear to him as well. Although he was a fan of all dogs, there was no question that his Chesapeake's were his favorite.

Tom was preceded in death by his father, Eldon, who died on August 5, 197;, and his mother Shirley (Detert), who died on April 29, 2017. He was also preceded by his brother-in-law, Roger Scheel (Cambridge); and sister-in-law, Sheila Borgrud (Deerfield). He will be remembered by his loving wife Julie; daughters: Josalyn (Aaron) Longley of Sun Prairie, Jenelle (Justin) Sellnow of Marshall; grandchildren: Kenzie and Keldon Longley, Chesney and Maddie Sellnow; brother, Gregg; and sister, Sandy (Scheel); as well as many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

The Bergholz family would like to thank all the wonderful people from UW Hospital and Prairie Ridge Health Hospital. A special thanks to Alicia, Candace, and the Rainbow Hospice team.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m, on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Marshall, followed by a burial at Medina Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Friday, April 5, 2024, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church and from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church on Saturday. There will be a luncheon afterwards at the Deerfield Rod & Amp; Gun Club.

"Nothing like the sound when the day breaks. Me and my girls in the woods on a Saturday…. Pass it on."

Tuschen-Newcomer Funeral Home

Sun Prairie, WI 608-837-5400

www.newcomerfh.com