Thomas E. Degner

Thomas Eugene Degner, age 83, of Shell Lake, Wisconsin passed away October 25, 2025, at the Marshfield Medical Center in Marshfield, Wisconsin, surrounded by the love of his family after a hard-fought battle with congestive heart failure.
Born on July 18, 1942, to John and Leona (Tetzloff) Degner on the family farm in Indian Creek Township, Pulaski County, Indiana, Tom was the third of 11 children. His childhood was spent working hard on his family's farm. In 1957, the family moved to Washburn County, Wisconsin, purchasing the Baker Farm in Madge Township. A 1960 graduate of Spooner High School, he met the love of his life there, Barbara Heitkamp, and they were united in marriage on August 3, 1963, sharing 62 wonderful years together.
After briefly training as a machinist in the Twin Cities, Tom and Barb returned to Washburn County, purchasing a small, 40-acre farm in Bashaw Township, just outside of Shell Lake, where he would live the remainder of his life, raising a family and living the many adventures that life has to offer. For many years, he worked at the counter and delivered parts for GTC Auto Parts in Spooner. In 1981, he began a new chapter with the Shell Lake Schools, managing the bus garage, repairing buses, and driving routes and students to their many events. Later in life, he enjoyed the solitude and connection of driving mail trucks between distribution centers in Spooner and Eau Claire and local post offices across Douglas, Bayfield, and Ashland Counties, a job he continued until the day before entering the hospital.
A proud veteran, Tom served for over 36 years in the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 724th Engineer Battalion. Trained as a heavy equipment operator, he rose to the rank of Sergeant First Class before retiring in 2002. He was immensely proud of the construction work he did for the National Guard, including building ball fields in Shell Lake, the corner of A&H in Burnett County, and Lake Hallie, and for representing the state on the National Guard's rifle team at competitions nationwide. His service allowed him to explore the world on training missions and deployments to Germany, Panama, and Nicaragua.
Tom embraced the adventures life offered. Always the consummate storyteller with a sharp wit, he could turn any happening into an engaging tale, filling the dining room table with stories from his day of work. At family get-togethers and social events, he could always be found sharing stories with whoever he met.
Mechanically oriented, Tom would spend countless hours designing, fabricating, and fixing things. With a great attention to detail, he would always find a creative solution to the challenges he faced, rarely seeing a piece of metal or equipment that he didn't immediately have a plan for. His creativity and passion for making things was only limited by the time he had available to complete his many plans.
His passion for working with his hands and preserving history extended to his hobby of collecting antique farm equipment. The hard work of his youth never left him, and he proudly used this equipment on his own small farm, growing corn and baling hay for his horses and small sheep herd. He proudly displayed his collection of farm equipment and model steam engines at the Hungry Hollow Steam and Gas Engine Show in Barron County, and regularly traveled the Midwest to display and attend other steam and gas engine shows.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, John and Leona Degner, and his brothers Donald (Kim), James, and Kevin (Lori). He is survived by his loving wife, Barbara; their children: Deidre (Tom) Kruser of West Salem, Wisconsin; Michael Degner of Novi, Michigan; Kristie (William) Hansen of Rice Lake, Wisconsin; and Samantha (PJ) Powell of Commerce Township, Michigan; and five beloved grandchildren: Allecia Kruser, Brianna Kruser, Adrian Powell, Haley Powell, and Jacob Degner. He also leaves behind his siblings: Sherry (Gene) Kasten; Raymond (Jacque) Degner; Ruth (John) Hartzell; Bonnie (Dave) Fox; William (Barb) Degner; Debra Degner; and Steven (Linda) Degner; sisters-in-law Brenda (Fernando) Simo, and Pamelynn Bosart; brother-in law Bruce (Doris) Heitkamp; and many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Tom's family extends a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Marshfield Hospitals (Rice Lake, Weston, and Marshfield), Cumberland Memorial Hospital, and Care & Rehab in Cumberland. Their exceptional care gave the family four precious extra months with him. His will to live, driven by the love for his family, was clear until the end. We are forever grateful to have had this time. Please hug your loved ones today.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 31st, with a gathering of friends and family at the Spooner Funeral Home from 11:00-1:30 with private funeral honors at the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
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