On April 20, 2024, Tom passed away peacefully at Mayo Clinic Hospital, MN surrounded by family.
A celebration of his life will be held at Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel in Clear Lake, Iowa, on Saturday, May 18th, at 1 p.m.
Tom was born in Hampton, Iowa, on September 26, 1956, to stepfather Charles Donald and Sara Lou (Chinburg) Morse. Later in life he learned of his biological father Ernest Harms and additional siblings, which gave him great joy. As a child, Tom participated in many sports and enjoyed spending time in the outdoors. At the age of sixteen he enlisted in the U.S. Army 4th Infantry as a Combat Engineer. After the military, he worked at various jobs and, in middle-age, attended college and earned a degree in Information Technology.
He married his best friend and love of his life, Tonya, in 1980. Together they were blessed with two sons, Tony and Tyler.
He enjoyed fishing, hunting, working on his orchard and spending time with family. He loved helping Tonya garden and working outside. She, in turn, loved his handiwork and ability to complete nearly any home improvement project. If the weather was nice, he and Tonya could be found riding motorcycles together and driving with the top down in the Corvette.
He and his wife have an Aronia berry orchard, Berry Hill Orchard LLC, near Fertile. He was proud to help grow chemical-free, healthy berries for the public, enjoyed seeing customers during annual u-pick events, and developing and sharing Aronia berry recipes.
Surviving him are his son Tony (Suzanne) and grandchildren Isabella, Kaiden, and Henry; son Tyler; brother Steve (Teresa) Harms; sister Shellie (Curtis) Freie; sister Sandy (Jim) Callahan; sister Suzy (Dennis) Knipfel; and sister Stacey (Lyle) Jensen.
Tom was preceded in death by his wife Tonya DeVries-Morse; stepfather Charles Donald Morse, mother Sara Lou Morse, father Ernest Harms, sister Catherine Duval, sister Donna Lou Swatke, and brother John Morse.
Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel. 310 1st Ave N, Clear Lake, IA 50428. 641-357-2193. ColonialChapels.com
