Thomas Jacob Shannon

Thomas "Tom" Jacob Shannon

Tom passed away on November 8th surrounded by his family. He was ready to reunite with his daughter in heaven. He was born at St. John's Hospital in Red Wing, MN to William James and Frances (Reinardy) Shannon on December 9th, 1935. He was the third oldest of the eight children.

Tom grew up in Ellsworth, WI where he worked on the family farm and attended school. In 1951 the family moved to Arkansas, WI for one year before moving on to Menomonie, WI, where the family farm is still being run by Shannon's as Shannon-Doah Farm. Tom continued to work on the farm until 1958 when he was drafted into the Army. He spent four years in the Army. Basic training began in Fort Carson, Colorado. This was followed by a short deployment in Japan, and a longer stint in South Korea where he managed the officers club. Tom finished his Army service at Fort Benning, GA before enlisting in the National Guard. Tom's service in the National Guard took him to Fort Lewis, WA where he was able to attend the Seattle World's Fair, one of his fondest memories. He loved to talk about his World's Fairs adventures.

After the military, Tom moved back to Menomonie and started a career in construction. This career brought him to the twin cities area where he was able to work on the masonry projects for such buildings as the MN State Capital and the current Hastings Middle School. He also met his future wife during this time. In 1977, Tom transitioned from construction to custodial work when he became a janitor for ISD #200. He finished his career in that direction in 2006 after 19 years.

Tom married Margaret Fritscher on June 17th, 1967. They settled in Hastings where they enjoyed 59 years together and raised two daughters. Tom was happiest behind the wheel of the family vehicle on their vacations through North America. He valued the family time, and he documented many of these adventures in pictures, lots of pictures. He also treasured the time he spent with his grandchildren. He always had something to say about how proud he was for one of his children or grandchildren. Volunteering with Knights of Columbus as a Grand Knight, SEAS, and Habitat for Humanity also gave him great happiness because he enjoyed socializing and helping people out.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Catherine Berg; parents; brothers, William, Paul, John, and Francis; and sister-in-law, Barbara Shannon.

Tom is survived by his wife, Margaret; daughter, Patricia (Patrick) McNamara of Hastings, MN; son-in-law, Kevin Berg of Albertville, MN; grandchildren, Matthew and Megan Berg; sister, Mary Ardis Ames of New Richmond, WI, Joyce (Joe) Kettner of Menomonie, WI, and Peggy (Rudy) Anderson of Carson, CA; and many treasured nieces and nephews.

Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, November 13th, 2026 at 11:00AM at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church with visitation beginning at 9:00am. A luncheon will follow Mass. Interment at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Cemetery in Hastings.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Hastings Family Service.