Reynolds L. Tomter
Reynolds Lloyd Tomter, 108, of Pigeon Falls, passed away Sunday, November 2, 2025, at Pigeon Falls Health Care Center.
Reynolds was born April 26, 1917, on his home farm outside of Pigeon Falls, to Otto Melvin and Hulda Josephine (Evenson) Tomter. He worked with his father until age 22.
On May 27, 1939, Reynolds married Dorothea Elizabeth Hoff in Ettrick. They moved into town where he was a clerk at the general store. On November 14, 1941, Reynolds and Dorothea welcomed their first child, a daughter, Julie Ann.
Reynolds entered U.S. military service on March 7, 1943. He chose to join the Merchant Marines during WWII where he served on supply ships. During his service, he completed several missions across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean theater. He was in Marseille, France, when the war ended. He returned to the U.S. and was discharged on August 15, 1945.
After the war, Reynolds returned to Pigeon Falls and resumed his job as a clerk. In 1946, he and Dorothea welcomed their second child, a son, Reynolds (Bud) Otto. In 1954, he purchased the Pigeon Store. Seventeen years later, he sold the store and became a real estate broker, establishing Reynolds Realty.
Reynolds loved golfing, fishing and spending winters with Dorothea in Clearwater, FL. He was known for his positive attitude, service to his community, active lifestyle, humor and being a friend to all those he met. His greatest joy in life was spending time with his family and friends.
During his lifetime, Reynolds received numerous awards and commendations for both his civic and military service. The highlight came at the age of 105 on August 8, 2022, when he received the World War II Congressional Gold Medal presented to all Merchant Mariners. As a proud Norwegian, he felt blessed to also receive the Norwegian Liberation Medal. He was especially honored by Old Glory Honor Flights and American Airlines to be included in a group of WWII veterans traveling to Normandy, France, for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, in June 2024.
Reynolds is survived by his daughter, Julie Warner of Pigeon Falls; son, Bud (Ellen) Tomter of Watkinsville, GA; granddaughters: Beth Warner, Madison, WI, and Jill (Dave) Kreiling, Kearney, MO; grandsons: Blair (Brittany) Sullivan, Avondale Estates, GA, and Jordan (Christina) Tomter, Watkinsville, GA. He is also survived by great-grandchildren: Andi and Cory Kreiling, Griffin and Smith Sullivan, and John Tomter; as well as many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Dorothea, who passed away in 1996; and son-in-law, David Warner. Also preceding him were eleven Hoff sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., at Peace Lutheran Church of Pigeon Falls. The service will be live streamed on Peace Lutheran’s website (https://www.peacelutheranofpigeonfalls.org/LiveStream).
Visitation will be held Friday April 24, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the church, and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., prior to the service on Saturday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to:
Peace Lutheran Church Capital Improvement Fund, P. O. Box 250, Pigeon Falls, WI 54760
Old Glory Honor Flight, 321 S. Nicolet Road, Suite A, Appleton, WI 54914
Pigeon Falls Lions Club, P. O. Box 464, Pigeon Falls, WI 54750.
