Tommy William Wahl
Tom Wahl loved working the land and enjoyed time spent with family and friends. He will be greatly missed.
Tommy William “Tom” Wahl, 79, of Moses Lake, Wash., passed from this world Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
Born on Aug. 27, 1945, Tom was the youngest child of Dane and Hazle Wahl and grew up on the family farm near Isabella, Okla. He attended high school in Fairview, Okla., and helped his parents on the farm. After high school, he began working for several earth moving businesses and for Major County as a road grader operator. After his father passed away in 1968, Tom added a dairy to the farming operations and supplied milk to the famous cheese factory in Watonga, Okla. After a few years he also started his own earth moving business, which became very busy building ponds, oil well pads and terracing fields in Northwestern Oklahoma.
In the 1980s an economic downturn led him to Soap Lake, Wash., where he continued his work in farming and earth moving. It was in Washington that he became reacquainted with a childhood sweetheart, Sharon Gill. They married in 1991 and shared the years since that happy day residing in Moses Lake, Wash. Together, Tom and Sharon started T & S Excavation, and he also worked as a heavy equipment operator for Chris’ Excavation in his spare time. Using his excellent memory and mechanical ability, Tom was an expert heavy equipment mechanic and a master at welding.
Staying busy in his retirement years, Tom had a small operation cutting hay for local farms and friends. This gave Tom the excuse to operate his older tractors and equipment that he loved so much. Tom was an easy-going person and enjoyed talking with people. He always seemed to look for the best in others.
Tom is survived by his wife of 33 years, Sharon, of Moses Lake, Wash.; daughter Shalah Arrien and husband Kory of Burns, Ore.; granddaughter Kimberlie Bivens and husband Joe of Oklahoma City, Okla.; granddaughter Brittany Arrien and grandson Tommy Arrien of Burns, Ore., and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dane and Hazle Wahl; sisters Mary Sproul and Betty Pearson; brother Mark Wahl; granddaughter Loretta Chambers and grandson Chance Chambers.
On the headstone of Tom’s parents is inscribed the family motto, “Our Heritage, A Love Of The Soil.” Tom Wahl lived his life inspired by that belief. He farmed crops as diverse as large fields of wheat and alfalfa, and even a patch of Christmas trees for a time. He knew cattle and other livestock. He was a skilled operator of earth moving equipment. He helped others when circumstances such as health or weather meant assistance was needed with bringing in a crop, repairing machinery or just about anything else that needed doing. Most of all he was a good man who spoke kindly of others, which is a legacy to which we can all aspire.
A celebration of life is to be held May 17, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Time Out Pizza in Ephrata, Wash.
Please express your thoughts and memories for the family at https://bit.ly/TWWAHL1. Arrangements are under the care of Kayser's Chapel of Memories.