Thomas (Tom) L. Hearne Jr. passed away May 24, 2022. He was born July 28, 1938, to Thomas L Hearne Sr and Mary Louise (Pharo) in Weatherford, Texas. After graduating from high school in 1956, he attended Texas Tech for two years. He later joined the US Army and served from 1962-1965 as an automobile mechanic. His service included one year in Bamberg, Germany.
Connie J. Bowers passed away May 1, 2020. She was born August 5, 1945, to Richard Lee and Gloria (Pegg) Bobbit in Winfield, Kansas. She lived in Douglass and graduated from Douglass High school in 1963.
Tom moved to Douglass, Kansas after his service in the Army, where he met 19-year-old Connie Bowers in the diner across the street from the newspaper office where he worked. On October 25, 1965 they were united in marriage and continued to live their life together for over 50 years. Tom and Connie had a daughter, Terisa, in May 1967. In 1971, the family moved to Wichita where Tom worked for IBM for several years. After a few years in the big city the Hearne’s were ready for something smaller, moving to rural Wilson County in 1976. Tom and Connie built their home, where they remained until 2016 when they moved to Fredonia.
While living in Wilson County, Tom worked for Wally Ferguson’s dairy, A & L TV for August Wacker and retired in 1998 from Fredonia Regional Hospital where he worked in the Maintenance Department. Connie worked at the White House residential home in Fredonia as a caregiver and cook. Later, she went to work for Fredonia Regional Hospital in housekeeping and managed Madison Square, a retirement facility owned by the hospital.
Tom was a nature lover, bird watcher, flea market fanatic and collector of all things related to centennial memorabilia for cities in Kansas. While Connie enjoyed doing embroidery work and will be remembered for the urge to shop but not collect, as Tom did enough for them both. They both had a loving and caring heart and always put their family first!
Tom is survived by his brother John David Hearne, Ft Worth, Texas; a niece, Shannon Cochran-Yzquierdo;
Connie is survived by her brother Larry and wife Carmen of Douglass and niece April Henke and family, and nephew Jarod Bowers and family.
Survivors include, daughter Terisa Martin and husband David, Fredonia; grandchildren, Drew Martin, Kourtney Loomis and husband Russell, Savanah Stephens, and Kaitlyn Hendry and husband Mikey; and four great grandchildren.
Memorials remembrances are suggested to Fredonia Library and Wilson County Historical Society.
Graveside services will be held December 4th at 2:00pm at the Fredonia Cemetery with dinner and celebration of their lives at The Venue at 3:00pm.