Leonard Tuma, 91, of Farwell, died Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, at the Rose Lane Home in Loup City, with his wife, of almost sixty-five years, at his side. Leonard was born on Feb. 20, 1921, in the family sod house north of Farwell, near Elba, the son of Jacob and Mary (Tuma) Tuma.

Leonard was the youngest of sixteen children. He was united in marriage to Ione Genevia Zimmerman on March 31, 1948, at Staples, Minnesota. To this union three sons were born: Lemanuel Alan, Kenneth Steven and Clayton Gabriel.

Leonard is survived by: wife, Ione Tuma, of Loup City; sons and daughter-in-law, Ken and Deb Tuma of Cheyenne, WY. and Clayton Tuma of Farwell; and sisters, Gustie Albers of Spokane, WA. and Clara Pawloski of St. Paul; 4 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

Leonard entered a world where Bohemian was spoken on the family farm, which never had electricity. He attended school through the eighth grade at District No. 52.

In 1939, Leonard worked at Camp Halsey with the Conservation Corps, where he made local news when he walked home to the farm to see his mother. He then farmed his parents farm until he began working for the Union Pacific Railroad in Oct. 1945. He achieved his retirement in Cheyenne, Wyoming on Sept. 16, 1982.

The couple retired to Farwell where he operated a hobby salvage iron yard for twelve years, where he enjoyed old cars, horse drawn wagons and machinery while listening to polka music.

Leonard was preceded in death by: parents; son, Lemanuel Alan, who died due to an unfortunate accident during the Vietnam War; brothers, Jake, Adolph, Frank, John and James Tuma; and sisters, Albina Tuma, Anna Vincik, Caroline Vincik, Bessie Senseny, Millie Kelley, Josephine Brahatcek, Mary Horky and Lizzie Jares.

Burial was in the National Bohemian Cemetery, Howard County, Elba, NE.

Published in The Grand Island Independent on August 30, 2012