Thomas (Tommy/ Wonger) Stanley Somnis, Jr., left this world peacefully on Monday, August 25 with his daughters, Sarah and Becca and niece, Sarena at his side. Tommy dealt with health issues for decades and a brief battle with cancer used up the last of his 9 lives. Naturally, the medical miracle defied the odds one last time to get home to his cabin where he was certain he wanted to be at the end of his life. Upon arrival from a 2-week hospital stay he went for a ride in his “new” Model A car on the back roads which included a stop at Dyers Lake and had a campfire with friends. The 40 (as he called it) once served as an unofficial community meeting space was once again a flurry of activity with visitors, his kids and grandkids. The circle driveway at the cabin almost looked like a parade with dust that barely settled for days. The parking lot and hearts of his caretakers were full.

Many know Tommy was a storyteller. He had a story about anything that came up in casual conversation and his stories often seemed like they couldn’t possibly be real, yet they were. He loved inappropriate jokes and always had a wise crack to share. He didn’t take life too seriously and could find humor in nearly every situation.

So here we go, piecing together a little bit of a really big life that couldn’t possibly fit in one newspaper: Tom was born on September 10, 1953, to Tom and Rosie Somnis in Albert Lea, MN and soon thereafter the family moved to the North Shore. Living in various places on the shore, the family eventually settled in Tofte. He attended Cook County Schools and was part of his dad’s potato farming crew. A few years later he earned his welding certificate and worked as a certified welder. Tom left the local area for some years and worked all over the country in just about every trade that you can think of. He didn’t eat potatoes for years.

He was a jack of all trades and master of some. One project that he was proud of was working on the Tofte dock. He liked to bring people there to see his initials etched in the concrete. That dock was since rebuilt by his son, Jeremy. A big portion of his work life was spent on maintenance and construction at Bluefin Bay in Tofte. He then had his own heavy equipment and worked on projects locally. Most recently he worked for Isak Hansen & Sons operating equipment and had his own snowplowing business.

Being a handy guy, he built a lot of things. Many of these projects he described as “Somnis built” and often when Sarah saw room for improvement he would respond, “Trim will cover that”, regardless of what they were working on. He excelled at accidental delegation, often starting a remodel project on his beloved cabin and immediately having a heart attack or other catastrophic health problem and then his loved ones would step in and do the project for him. Truly brilliant.

He was married and then he wasn’t. He married again and then again wasn’t.

He was well known for his mechanical skills, having tons of fun with machines in the mud and the snow. He was a mud bogger and an ice racer. He is remembered for his heart of gold, sense of humor, and great laugh. If you know that laugh, you won’t forget it. He was highly proficient at the use of curse words and until the last several years he

SOMNIS

Continued on PAGE 11 had an unquenchable thirst for domestic beers. He pushed himself and his motorized machines to the limit. Sometimes things broke, but he always knew how to get parts and fix them. He also enjoyed quiet times fishing and hunting birds and deer. Becca remembers, one day bird hunting with him, which she didn’t enjoy, they spotted a bird. Tommy didn’t see which way it went, Becca did. Thinking quickly to save the bird she sent him in the opposite direction.

He spent a brief time as a pig farmer which led to some epic pig roasts at the 40. He loved whoppers from Burger King and was typically rewarded with them after attending countless doctor appointments in Duluth. He was easy-going most of the time but was passionate about speaking out against texting and driving as well as the horrors of modern architecture.

Tommy-isms include things like…”stupid hurts” and…”you might as well do it and like it, because if you don’t like it, you still got to do it anyway.” Words to live by. The man, the myth, the legend.

Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Rosie Somnis, sister Julie, daughter Jennifer, and grandsons Dakota and Dallas.

Tom is survived by his son Jeremy (Colleen), and daughters Sarah (Augie) and Rebecca.

Grandchildren Carly, Nicole, Riley, Connor, Aiden, Brady, Lynda, Rosemary, Serenity and DJ.

Siblings Nancy Cottrell (Dave), Sharon Schmit (Jack) and David (Jeannie) and many nieces and nephews.

Following his wishes, Jermey, Sarah and Becca will host a casual potluck on Sep 27th, 2025, from 12pm to 5pm at the 40. Sharing stories and thoughts at 3 PM. Bring a dish to share and a story to tell.