We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
On October 7, the Chinook Senior Citizen Center will conduct a presentation during which they confer the 2022 Senior of the Year (SOY) Award. The family of Dwight Thomas (Tom) Tilleman will accept the award on the behalf of their deceased loved one. Although the award is a posthumous one, Tilleman remains remembered for his ebullient personality and his many contributions to the community.
With his passing at age 76 on November 3, 2021, Tilleman lost a ten-year battle with cancer and its many related complications. At the same time that his family lost a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle; Chinook lost a proud volunteer as well as a creative and talented "Mr. Fix-It."
Born to Charles and Beulah (Willman) Tilleman, the seventh of seven boys, Tilleman arrived on January 26, 1945. He spent his childhood fifteen miles south of Chinook on the family farm. At a young age working on the farm, Tilleman began operating machinery. During those early years, he discovered an aptitude for pinpointing and repairing mechanical problems. This ability to troubleshoot and repair would serve him well in the future.
When he was alive, Tilleman expressed fond memories of growing up with his six siblings and attending a one-room elementary school before enrolling at Chinook High School. In his sophomore year, he met Katherine (Kitty) Louise Hendrickson. The couple was married on April 25, 1964 and enjoyed nearly 58 years of marriage. To their union, two children were born: Thomas in 1967 and Roxanne in 1969.
Relying on the work ethic developed on the family farm as well as on his talent for mechanical diagnostics and repair, Tilleman owned and operated Tilleman Appliance based in Havre for 40 years. During this time, he sold and repaired appliances, trained servicemen, and assisted many friends, neighbors, and relatives with home, automobile, and equipment issues. According to his wife, "Tom repaired every appliance, just no televisions." His service area was from Chester to Glasgow and as far south as Fort Benton.
Despite his busy schedule and being a "workaholic," Tilleman always had time for family and community. He especially enjoyed family gatherings and standing behind the grill cooking for those in attendance. Additionally, he spent many years in bleachers across the state, watching his children and grandchildren participate in athletics.
Other interests included hobbies like painting, woodworking, ceramics, blacksmithing, making arrowheads, hunting, performing taxidermy work, cooking, gardening, collecting, sewing, and traveling. Tilleman had an insatiable appetite for learning new things and engaging in adventure. His witty one-liners, sense of humor, and contagious laughter brought smiles to most everyone he met.
Tilleman's wife Kitty recalls: "I never got a hobby because whenever I got interested in something, Tom would share my interest and end up doing whatever it was so much better than I ever could!"
Tilleman was also a member of the Army National Guard and the Jaycees. He further participated in the Lewis & Clark Honorary Expedition, led Troop 448 as Scout Master, and served in numerous other roles as a volunteer. His fondness for the history of Lewis and Clark took him into local elementary schools, delivering presentations to the students.
As he grew older, one of the organizations that received much of his time and attention was the Chinook Senior Citizen Center. Because of this care and attention, his family named the Center in Tilleman's obituary as a potential memorial. "If the Center needed Tom for something, he went. He repaired things, cooked, and served as a Director for multiple years," Kitty stated.
According to Karyn Higgins, Director of the Chinook Senior Citizen Center, Tilleman's wife, children, and many of the grandchildren will be on hand for Friday's presentation. To Higgins' understanding, this will be the first time the SOY is presented posthumously.
When asked about the void in her life, Kitty responded: "I miss everything. Tom was my companion, partner, and friend. Because Tom was gone a lot performing repair jobs, I was often home alone. So being home alone now doesn't bother me, but getting into a car and going somewhere without him-that's a challenge since he's not here."
Because nearly 58 years of marriage is a milestone, Tilleman's wife also shared her formula for success: "Once you've made it to a certain point, there's no sense in looking for greener grass. There will always be challenges in a relationship, you just have to look for the good and keep moving forward, one step at a time."
Kitty additionally described Tom's bout with cancer: "Ten years of cancer makes life hard, but they were good years, too. During that time, Tom got to see two great grandchildren who were born, and we travelled to places that Tom enjoyed. He was always hesitant at first to go too far, but he liked new places and trying all the local foods. Now, I just have Baxter, Tom's dog. While Tom was alive, Baxter enjoyed chasing rabbits and gophers, but if I ever have a reason to go out to the fields, Baxter won't leave my side."
Like a guardian angel of sorts, Baxter-part dachshund and part Chihuahua-fills the role of Kitty's companion and protector.
