Thomas J. Holmes

Thomas James Holmes was born March 10, 1948, in Mankato, He was the youngest of seven children of Robert Mitchel and Edna Louise Holmes nee Kehner. He died on Nov. 10, 2025, at Hillcrest Care Center. Tom grew up in North Mankato and graduated from Mankato High School in 1966. He attended Mankato State College for two semesters, then dropped out and was immediately drafted into the U.S. Army, assigned to the infantry, and sent to fight in the jungles of Vietnam. Tom was a “warrior whose strength was not to fight.”

Tom served his country with honor, earning a bronze star for saving the life of his commanding officer who had been seriously wounded in a mortar attack. Under fire Tom carried his Captain to a waiting Medivac helicopter. Asked why he did it. he answered, “I couldn’t leave him there to die.” Tom was later injured by shrapnel from a landmine explosion, an injury for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. After his recovery Tom was promoted to Specialist Fourth Class and worked as an officer’s chauffeur for the remainder of his army tour of duty. When he returned to Mankato, one of the first things he did was to sell his hunting rifle.

Upon his discharge from the Army Tom worked briefly as an offset printer operator for Carlsoncraft. He eventually was hired by the U.S. Postal Service where he worked as a clerk and LSM operator for over 35 years. Tom enjoyed tennis and gardening. He was an amateur lepidopterist,

Tom was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters – Margaret Holmes Hughes, Caroline Holmes Byro and Ruth Holmes Kluegel. He is survived by two sisters – Mary Holmes Babcock and Georgia Holmes and one brother, Gerald Whitley Holmes as well as numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and cousins.

Services at Messiah Lutheran on Monday Nov 17 at 11 a.m. with burial at Fort Snelling.