Tommy Joe Kaufmann

Tommy Joe Kaufmann, 81, passed on Dec. 23, 2022, of natural causes. Son of Cletus and Mamie Kaufmann of Lewiston, Idaho, he was fifth out of their 11 children. He was born into farming life along with his older siblings Dave, Cliff, Sis and Pat, and his younger siblings Ed, Chuck, Mike, Fred, Don and Mary. After serving as an army sergeant in Vietnam, Tommy (aka Tom) and his first wife Ruth were married in 1969 and settled in Othello, Washington where they farmed and raised four daughters: Jo, Melissa, Kristina and Jennifer. Tom's family tree eventually grew to include grandsons Logan and Kody, granddaughter Sydney, and great-grandson Parker (parents Kody and Haley). Later he gained four more step-grandchildren through his daughters' marriages: Shawn, Michael and Austin (Kristina and Rob Coombes) and Henry (Melissa and Dallas Johnson). Significant others also part of the family are Dan Murphy (Jo) and Ben Grendahl (Jenn).