Thomas Lively

Tom Lively, age 74, of Fosston, MN, passed away on Monday (July 14th) at Essentia Hospital in Fosston. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday (July 19th) at Bethel Assembly Church in Fosston with Pastor John Marx officiating. Interment will be in the Bagley City Cemetery in Bagley, MN. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church. Military honors will be provided by the National Guard Honors Team and arrangements are with the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home of Fosston. Messages of condolence may be sent at carlinhoialmen.com.Thomas Charles Lively was born on September 30, 1939 in Chicago Heights, Illinois to parents Ezra and Ethel Covert Lively. He grew up in the Chicago area and graduated from Thornton High School in 1957. Following high school, he attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis where he received his BA in Education. During his college years, he supported himself by working as a mechanical draftsman in St. Paul. He was united in marriage to Vernice Hanson on April 4, 1964 at the Duluth Gospel Tabernacle in Duluth, Minnesota. He entered the United States Navy in November of 1967 and served his country until receiving his honorable discharge in March of 1970. They continued to live in the Twin Cities area where Tom taught post secondary education classes in St. Paul. Tom and Vernice eventually settled in North Branch, Minnesota where they raised their family.Later in life, Tom began work in sales and he and Vernice resided for 12 years in Palm Springs, California. In 2006, following their retirement, they moved to Fosston, where he became an active member of Bethel Assembly Church.In the early 1970's Tom started and Pastored a church in Wyoming, Minnesota. During that time and into the 1980's, he hosted a Sunday sermon hour on KNOF FM in St. Paul. During his message he would ask for clothing donations for American Indians in need in Canada. He would then load up the donations and make the trip there to distribute the clothing to the needy. Tom was a life-long avid reader who developed an extensive personal library of around 10,000 books. He was most known for his dedicated study and teaching of the word of God.Survivors include his loving wife of 50 years, Vernice of Fosston; two sons, Mark of Newport Beach, CA, and Tim (Michelle) and their children, AnnaMarie, Grace and Brandon of Maplewood, MN; brother-in-law, Lloyd (Marlys) Hanson of Virginia, MN; and aunt, Lorene Cornish and several cousins.He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother-in-law, LaVerne Hanson.Pallbearers: Marty Johannessohn, Robert Covert, Arnie Peltzer, Michael Ophus, Dean Lindberg, and Lloyd Hanson.