Thomas M. Helgersen

Sioux City, IA - Thomas Morgan Helgersen, 71, of Sioux City, passed away unexpectantly, Thursday, November 2, 2023, at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, November 8th, 5-8PM at Jims Lounge. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by Christy-Smith Funeral Home in Morningside.

Tom was born February 25, 1952, in Sioux City to Seth and Evelyn (Koch) Helgersen. Tom grew up in Sioux City and graduated from East High in 1971.

In October of 2001, Tom met Teresa Muckey. From that initial date, they both knew they were soul mates. In their 22 years together, they enjoyed boating, gardening, working on “sissy projects” and spending time with family and friends.

Tom was a hard worker which started in his teens with a paper route and then water boy for the golf course (a job that he loved). As an adult, he did carpentry, worked for Cimmarina Boats as a boat mechanic, then was a boiler maker, building ethanol plants and then worked security at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center. In 2015 he retired.

Tom enjoyed tinkering in his garage, aka man cave. His tinkering created bird houses, squirrel feeders, tin can men and other treasures out of scraps and throw aways. He even resurrected an old boat out of a cornfield and worked and worked on it to where it was the cool vintage boat on the Missouri River! Other enjoyments were watching Iowa Hawkeye football with friends, watching war movies and old TV shows, telling jokes and stories (his Ollie and Lena jokes as well as the bear joke were known to all)

Left to cherish Tom’s memory is his love, Teresa Muckey and family.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Seth and Evelyn Helgersen and his sister, Mary Patricia Helgersen.

A special thanks to the Sioux City Fire Department and to MercyOne ER staff for their skills and compassionate care.