Thomas L. Kehrer

The man, the myth, the legend.

That was our Thomas Lee Kehrer.

At the age of 83, Thomas left this world for a better place. A place where seafood is endless, red cream sodas are on tap, good ole’ country music is on repeat, trespassers don’t exist, and there are never-ending holes to be dug with a backhoe.

Thomas was born on June 27 1936 in Belleville, IL. He decided he was too cool for school and dropped out before his sophomore year. He might’ve been a destroyer of the English language, but he was an incredibly smart man. He learned from his life experiences, his daddy’s advice and always knew the *right* way something needed to be done.

He married his teenage sweetheart Shirley on January 28, 1956, in Hernando, MS, with whom they had two children, Cynthia Bruner of Mascoutah, IL and Dale T. Kehrer of Mt. Juliet, TN. He taught them how to hunt, fish, grow a garden, love nature, the value of being independent and the importance of family.

He worked as an Operating Engineer for the Local 520 for most of his life. He was a master of all things outdoors – a commercial fisherman, a hunter, trapper, marksman, quick-draw gun artist, and a master mechanic. He was a Golden Glove Boxer and boxed in the USO. When Thomas wasn’t at home or at work, he was in the river bottom. He excelled at building bridges, crafting fishing nets, tearing down beaver dams, digging holes with his backhoe, building deer stands, planting food plots, running fishing lines and giving orders. Thomas was a member of the Moose Lodge 815 in Mascoutah, IL and a proud member of the NRA.

Thomas was a jokester and could always put a smile on your face. He was a storyteller – when he spoke people listened. He was loyal. He lived his life as a devoted husband and loving father. He was admired. He was a simple, but complicated man. Proud, but modest. Tough, but yet so gentle. His eyes were warm, his heart was genuine. He was one helluva man and lived a beautiful, full life – a life for his family.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Orvel J. and Sylvia M., nee Schaeffer, Kehrer, a sister, Collette Kehrer, and a brother, James Kehrer.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley J., nee Meder, Kehrer, whom he married on January 28, 1956 in Hernando, MS; two children, Cynthia (Michael) Bruner of Mascoutah, IL and Dale Thomas Kehrer of Mt. Juliet, TN; three grandchildren, Mychaela (James) Kekeris of Mascoutah, IL, Michelle (Johnny) Whiteman of Riverview, FL, and Sean (Trista) Bruner of Valrico, FL; four great-grandchildren, Aiden and Haleigh Whiteman, and Colten and Tessa Bruner; one brother, Robert (Sarah) Kehrer of Lenzburg, IL; also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made for Tessa’s Battle with Batten Disease, https://www.gofundme.com/tessas-battle-with-batten-disease. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at mollfuneralhome.com.

Visitation: From 4 to 8 PM Wednesday, August 21, 2019 at Moll Funeral Home, Mascoutah, IL.

Funeral: A “Celebration of Life” service will be held Friday at 4 p.m. at the family’s farm. Contact the family for information.