Thomas Cruikshank

Thomas Gordon Cruikshank died peacefully at the age of 90 in Winterset, Iowa.

Thomas, son of Lester Cruikshank and Sarah Eastman Cruikshank, was born on October 8, 1932 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up in Wayzata, Minnesota with his nine brothers and sisters and started working at a young age. After graduating from Wayzata High School, Thomas attended the University of Minnesota and Minnesota School of Business. From 1954 to 1956, Thomas served in the U.S. Army, stationed in France. After being honorably discharged from military service, Thomas worked for IBM Corporation out of Des Moines, Iowa.

Thomas met Marilyn Jean Geiger during a church gathering in Des Moines and the two were later united in marriage on July 1, 1958. Soon afterward, Thomas was called to the ministry and the couple began a life-long journey of Christian service together. In 1962, Thomas received a degree from Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois, was ordained into the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and was assigned to Southwick, Massachusetts to start a new congregation, Christ Lutheran Church. Thomas then served as a dual parish pastor in rural Iowa at  St. Paul’s Lutheran Church near Boone with Trinity Lutheran Church in Ogden and Trinity Lutheran Church in Shenandoah with Our Savior Lutheran Church in Sidney and then in Colorado at St. John Lutheran Church in Canon City and Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Westcliffe. In his retirement, he served as guest and vacancy pastor in Colorado, Missouri and Illinois and was pastor during the planting of Faith Lutheran Church in Monticello, Illinois. He served as pastor emeritus at St. John Lutheran Church in Decatur, Illinois for several years until moving to Winterset, Iowa in 2021.

Thomas’ life and ministry were an outpouring of his faith in, assured hope of and love for God. He was an avid fisherman - up and out both early and late, patient beyond expectation and an eternal optimist.

Thomas is survived by Marilyn, his beloved wife of sixty-four years, along with their two sons Gary S. (Liane Lowell) Cruikshank of Charlotte, North Carolina, and David A. (Molly) Cruikshank of Lincoln, Nebraska and one daughter Laurie L. (Robert F.) Rasmus of Winterset, Iowa; eleven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at the Faith Lutheran Church, Madison County Historical Complex, in Winterset, with Dr. Keith Schweitzer officiating. Burial will be in Winterset Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Faith Lutheran Church, PO Box 532, Winterset, Iowa 50273. Online condolences can be expressed to the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.