Thomas Robert Bible, age 87, passed away at the Meadowbrook Nursing Home in Black River
Falls on Friday, November 1, 2024.
Tom was born September 24, 1937, in Disco, WI, on the family farm to Robert and Pearl (Sharp)
Bible. He went to grade school in Disco where his mom, Pearl, was his teacher. Tom went to
High School and graduated in 1958 from Black River Falls. He was the Class President,
involved in FFA, and a great athlete excelling in football, basketball, and track and field. He held
the school record for the 220 Yard Dash with 23.8 seconds from 1956 to 1971. In 1955 he made
it to the State Track and Field Meet for the 220 Yard Dash and the 880 Yard Relay. After High
School Tom attended UW- Eau Claire in the Fall of 1956, where he lettered in Football. He
realized college wasn’t for him and went to North Carolina where he took a specialized course in
handling and operating heavy equipment.
On December 2, 1958, Tom drove to Sacramento, CA, where Jessie Fisher was working for the
telephone company, picked her up, and they were married in Nevada on December 7, 1958.
They were married for 65 years.
Tom lived in the Black River Falls area his entire adult life. He started working for Hoffman
Construction as an operator and was a member of the Wisconsin Operating Engineers Local 139.
Around 1964 he bought a business putting in Septic Systems. He also dug house
basements and dug graves for several local cemeteries. Later, he bought out Johnson Disposal
where he owned and operated several garbage trucks with routes in the Black River Falls area-
both business and residential. Tom bought some land and opened up the Jackson County
Landfill and later sold the operation in 1987. In 1981 he became a grower/ owner of Ocean
Spray by purchasing a cranberry marsh and expanded it to 32 acres. In 1990 he was the
founder of the Tilden Mound Development. He started the Brockway Cranberry march in 1993.
In the early 90’s he went back to Hoffman Construction as a Heavy Equipment Operator.
In the winter months Tom lived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from 1985-2019. There he enjoyed
entertaining guests, cranberry margaritas and pontooning around the canal system. Back home,
Tom liked going to auctions where he found old equipment such as Steam Engines and
thrashing machines. He loved taking this old farm equipment to the Strum Steam Engine Days
and demonstrating them. He collected antique tractors- the Cockshot, Marshall, and Co-ops.
Which is a good indicator how he ended up with the nickname, Tractor Tom. In the 1970’s Tom
and Jessie started a winter recreation area called Double R Ranch. You could rent a Rupp
snowmobile, sled, ski, and ice skate. In the summer months it was a Golf driving range. He was
the Jackson County Fair Board President from 1977 until 1982. Tom also raised buffalo and
teams of work horses. In his other spare time, he was an avid sports fan- and was even a
season ticket holder for the MN Vikings in 1970 until 1982. Above all, he will be remembered as
a great role model, and loving and caring father and grandfather.
He is preceded in death by his parents; and brother, David Bible.
Tom is survived by his wife, Jessie; sons, James Bible and Roger (Julie Dobbs) Bible both of
Black River Falls; grandchildren, James Bible the II of Neenah, Rachel (Chad) Kenyon of
Bloomfield, IA, Ethan Bible of Eden Prairie, MN, Emma Bible of Dubuke, IA, Christian (Carah
Bunnell) Bible of Menasha; great- grandchildren, Adrian Bible, Tristan Bible, Brekken Bible, and
Clayton Bible.
Funeral services for Tom will take place at a later date.
The Buswell Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements, 715-284-2231.