Thomas Kern, of Lafayette, passed away at Creasy Springs on February 26, 2018 at the age of 93.  Tom was born to George and Hattie Kern on April 25, 1924 in Canada, when his family was homesteading on the Saskatchewan prairie.  They soon moved back to Indiana to live on a farm in Montgomery County.  Tom graduated from Crawfordsville High School and served in the Armed Forces from 1943 to 1946.

     In the spring of 1946 Tom met and courted Barbara Harshbarger whom he married the following September. The couple first lived in Crawfordsville, where Tom trained as a typesetter at the R. R. Donnelley Company, and their family grew with the arrival of two daughters and a son.  In 1952, Tom accepted a job with the Journal & Courier and the family moved to Lafayette and bought their first home.  In 1959, Tom and Barb decided they wanted their children to have the experience of living on a farm, so they traded their city home for a small farm near Brookston and began their rural adventure:  a couple of fields, some cattle, a big garden, hills for sledding, a creek for ice skating, and sundry beloved pets. Tom loved animals and the outdoors, enjoyed building and repairing things, and helped his children with many 4-H projects. During the Brookston years, the family were active at the Brookston Federated Church and Tom enjoyed singing in the church choir and a barbershop quartet. 

     Tom and Barb later moved back to the Lafayette area and took up the hobbies of golfing, traveling and grandparenting.  Tom enjoyed fixing things and was happy to serve as handyman to anyone who needed help, whether it be family, friend or neighbor; he retired from the Journal and Courier in 1986.  Tom is survived by his wife Barbara of 71 years, his children and their spouses (Sharon Kern, Teri and Rudy Gardiner, Thomas Randy and Michelle Kern), his grandchildren (Jennifer Gardiner, Tim Gardiner & wife Candace, Staci DeBoer, T. J. Kern, and Emily Hedrick & fiancé Josh Weimer), his great grandchildren (Lauren, Danny, Ryan and Sophia), and his sisters (Mary Horton and Sandy Wright). He was predeceased by four sisters and three brothers.

      Tom was a sweet, funny, and profoundly good-hearted man who embraced life with love, optimism, and an infectiously impish smile.  We shall love and emulate him for the rest of our lives.  The family would like to thank the staff of the Creasy Springs Legacy for the exceptional care and friendship they gave Tom over the past two years. Visitation Wednesday March 7, 2018 1:30-2:30 PM Soller-Baker Lafayette Chapel with service to follow at 2:30 Dr. Will Miller Officiating. Burial at Liberty Chapel Cemetery Montgomery County.