Thomas L. Wurl was born at Red Lake, Minnesota, on August 9, 1920, to Otto and Mary Wurl, and died in Sturgis, South Dakota, on October 11, 2009. As a young man, Tom worked with the CCC before joining the U.S Army in 1942 and serving in the Air Corps (in Guam, among other places) until 1947. After his honorable discharge from the Army, Tom returned home stateside and began his lifelong work in the automotive repair business. Owner of Tom and Gary's Body Shop for a number of years, Tom also owned and raced stock cars for a time, and was a trolley driver for the City of Deadwood until illness forced him to quit work in 2005.

Tom enjoyed hunting and fishing most of his life, and he delighted in teaching his children and grandchildren to appreciate the great outdoors. For many years, he was a pretty decent bowler despite his bad back, and later in life he enjoyed golfing and spending time with what he called Deadwood's one-armed bandits.

He is survived by six of his seven children (on April 16, 1946, he married and later had seven children with wife Olivia before they divorced in 1970): daughters, Sheryl Wurl of Tucson, Arizona; Nance (Leroy) Warren of Fargo, North Dakota; and Teresa Bertalot of Fargo, North Dakota; sons Mike of Spearfish; Bob of Rapid City; and Jim of Whitewood; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, one daughter and seven siblings.

Graveside services and inurnment will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 19, 2009, in the Black Hills National Cemetery with Chaplain Ralph Vencill officiating. Military honors will be provided by the Sturgis Veteran's Honor Guard. Friends may gather at Kinkade Funeral Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery.

A reception for Tom's relatives and friends will follow from noon until 2:00 p.m. at the Deadwood VFW, which always had a special place in his heart. Memorials may be sent to VFW Post 5969, 10 Pine Street, Deadwood, SD 57732 for veterans programs or a charity of your choice.