Thomas Lynn Sonderup

Thomas Lynn Sonderup, 67, of Fullerton, passed away Friday, June 30, 2023, at Merrick Medical Center in Central City, surrounded by his family.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 6, 2023, at Fullerton Community Church in Fullerton with Pastor Joy Church and Pastor Linda Lambert officiating. A private family burial of ashes will be at a later date at Fullerton Cemetery in Fullerton. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5 at Fullerton Community Church in Fullerton. Palmer-Santin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. 

Tom was born Nov. 27, 1955, to Vern and Marilyn (Forbes) Sonderup at Grand Island. He grew up on the family farm west of Fullerton and was involved in 4-H and FFA from an early age. Achievements as a young adult included earning his State and American FFA degrees; serving as a State FFA Officer; and winning Grand Champion when showing the first Charolais steer ever shown at the Nance County Fair.

Tom graduated from Fullerton High School in 1974 and attended the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, where he met Sandy Larson. They were married Nov. 25, 1978 at the Bethany Presbyterian Church near Chambers.

After Tom’s family bought their first Charolais bull in1962, Tom started building his Charolais herd. Along with raising quality breeding cattle, he was a firm supporter of local 4-H and FFA youth programs, and served on the local fair board, the Nance County Ag Society, and the State & National Charolais breed associations for many years.

Forty years into creating his livestock legacy, Tom found a new passion in providing food for fellow livestock participants through Papa Tom’s, his BBQ food trailer. His dedication to quality quickly made Papa Tom’s a household name across Nebraska, and his livestock connections gave him many opportunities to keep helping the industry he loved.

Tom cherished time with family, whether it was fishing with grandkids, taking family vacations (aka cattle show trips), or watching Husker Volleyball together. He believed in doing things right and taught his daughters the meaning of integrity and doing good work.

He is survived by his wife, Sandy of Fullerton; four daughters, Kelly (Mike) Hale of Fullerton, Jamie (Ben) Keep of Scotia, Tracy (Brian) Gaston of Fullerton, Heidi (Stacey Singletary Jr.) Page of Fullerton; six grandchildren, Rachel, Charlotte and Isabel Hale; Miles and Riley Keep; and Layla Page; sister, Nancy (Phil) Cole of Brule; brother, Mark (Kathy) Sonderup of Fullerton; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. 

He is preceded in death by his parents.