Thomas “Tom” William Biver, 78, of Spooner, Wisconsin, died peacefully on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Superior, Wisconsin.

He was born on August 4, 1946, in Spooner, Wisconsin, to Joseph F. and Ruth (Swetland) Biver, the second of seven children, five boys and two girls.

Tom grew up on a dairy farm in Spooner, Wisconsin. He was active in the Future Farmers of America where he was named Top Ag Senior and was selected as State Farmer for his projects. He was a member of the Twin Valley 4-H Club, becoming selected as the Outstanding 4-H Boy on his last year of 4-H and earning a Key Award.

Tom attended Shell Lake High School and his freshman year he was selected as Class King for Homecoming. He graduated high school in 1964 and went on to earn a teaching degree from the Barron County Teacher’s College in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, in 1966. He played basketball and baseball during college. After college, he taught at St. Paul Catholic School in Bloomer, Wisconsin. Tom and his oldest brother John ventured west to Big Sky Country, Montana, where he was an elementary school educator for 25 years in several locations. He coached and officiated high school sports throughout that time. In the summers, he and his brother returned to vacation at the family farm in Wisconsin. They enjoyed riding motorcycles and playing city league baseball for several teams in the Fishbowl league. Hunting was a favorite hobby and Montana was a great place to hunt with its elk and mule deer in the mountains and antelope and whitetail deer in the valleys.

In 1992, he retired from teaching in Montana and moved back to Wisconsin to be near his parents, brothers and sisters. He began raising beef cattle and farming hay and corn with his brother, John, in Dewey Township, minutes from the family farm. He also served for five years as Town Road Supervisor and became licensed as a Property Assessor, performing assessments in several townships for over a decade. He was an avid coin collector and a member of the Wooden Nickel Coin Club in Siren, WI.

On March 10, 2007, he was united in marriage to Mary Mancl at St. Francis de Sales in Spooner, Wisconsin. They built their home on the Yellow River in Spooner, Wisconsin, and traveled to their winter home in Sun City, Arizona.

Tom was a member of Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Spooner, Wisconsin.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Biver; stepdaughters, Jayna (James) Colvard and Jessica Mann; grandchildren, Jaymz Colvard, Caleb Mlejnek and Hala Mlejnek; sisters, Susan Hughes and Mary (Dan) Denver; brother, James Biver; sisters-in-law, Judith Biver, Patricia (Doug) Moravec and Nancee Mancl; brothers-in-law Wencl (Margaret) Mancl, Robert (Barbara) Mancl, John Moravec, Alfred (Mary) Mancl, Bernard (Joan) Mancl, John (Jeanne) Mancl, Joseph (Sheila) Mancl, Richard (Cheryl) Mancl and David (Linda) Mancl; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph F. and Ruth (Swetland) Biver; his father- and mother-in-law, Wencl and Josephine (Treml) Mancl; brothers, Joseph Biver, John Biver and Theodore Biver; brothers-in-law, Duane “Buck” Hughes and George Mancl; and sister-in-law, Marlene Moravec.

A funeral mass will be held at 11am on Friday, February 14, 2025, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, with Father Philip Juza, Presider. There will be a visitation one hour prior to mass and a luncheon following the mass. Interment will be scheduled in May 2025 at Calvary Cemetery in Spooner, Wisconsin.

Last Update: Feb 06, 2025 11:57 am CST