Tom Rademacher Obituary, Death – On January 5, 2023, Tom Rademacher, 73, of Rosen, died unexpectedly at home. Thomas Michael Rademacher was born on July 28, 1949 in Ortonville, Minnesota to Marcus and Clara (Laners) Rademacher. Tom was deeply committed to his family, his principles, and the Rosen Express. On September 4, 1971, Tom married Jeannie Roggenbuck. Tom remembered his childhood on his family’s farm near Rosen fondly. As the eighth of eleven children, I developed strong attachments to both my family and my religion. Rosen was christened and confirmed at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and School, where he also attended grades one through eight. In 1967, he graduated from Bellingham High School.
In high school, he participated in football, basketball, and baseball, with baseball being his favorite. Tom, who was renowned for being competitive, would frequently start a game at home on the farm. Losing did not sit well with him, as his brothers frequently stated. Sports and farm work were inextricably linked in his life. As a child, he couldn’t wait for the oat harvest to start work on his next baseball field. He’d hook up the B John Deere and pull it across to the next ball field. Despite his father’s misgivings, he would ride on the drag with one of his siblings to add weight. In March 1969, he was drafted and sent to Vietnam. He spent five months in basic training in Louisiana.
He later joined the military and served in Vietnam as an artillery gunner. He’d been there for two and a half months when his foot hurt. He spent the next year seeking medical treatment in hospitals in both Japan and Kansas as a result of his injuries. After returning to the United States, he began working as a Veterans Service Officer for Lac qui Parle County. He was passionate about his career and always put people first. He was grateful for the opportunity to serve those who had contributed to our country’s freedom. Tom was pleased with how our country’s attitude toward veterans has changed when he returned home to the present.