Fr. Tom Topf dies Dec. 11 at age 87

Father Thomas J. Topf, 87, died Dec. 11, 2024, at Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 17 at Holy Cross Parish, St. Michael Church in Sioux City with Bishop Walker Nickless as celebrant and Father Will Vit as homilist. Visitation will be Dec. 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. with a rosary and vigil service at 6 p.m. at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Le Mars.

Born into a family of seven children on Sept. 13, 1937, Father Topf’s parents were Omer C. Topf and Florence K. Deegan Topf. He attended elementary and high school at St. Joseph School in Salix. Following graduation, he attended Loras College in Dubuque, graduating in 1959. This was followed by four years of seminary at Mt. St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque. During the summers he earned a master’s degree in education at Creighton University.

Father Topf was ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 1963, by Bishop Joseph Mueller at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. His assignments included the following: Teacher at Bishop Heelan High School (1963-1968), teacher at St. Edmond High School in Fort Dodge (1968-1974), teacher at Kuemper High School in Carroll (1974-1977), hospital chaplain at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll (1977-1982), pastor of the following parishes: St. Catherine Church at Oyens (1982-1986), St. Patrick Church in Estherville (1986-1993), Sts. Peter and Paul Church in West Bend (1993-1994), Holy Rosary Church in Fort Dodge (1994-2000), St. Joseph Church in Schaller (2000-2001) and St. Michael Church in Kingsley (2001-2008). Father Topf retired at Marian Hall in Sioux City in 2008.For several years Father Topf was a member of the St. Joseph Education Society, whose focus was monitoring funds for seminarian education. Later, for nine years, he was a member of the Priests’ Pension Board, a group that administers benefits for retired and infirm priests. Also, for a short period he helped resolve marriage cases in the Diocesan Tribunal. Father Topf enrolled in training to become a spiritual director. For more than two decades, he provided monthly spiritual direction for persons in the diocese, a ministry which included work at the Broom Tree Retreat Center in the Diocese of Sioux Falls.

Father Topf is survived by his brother, Philip A Topf, Cedar Rapids; his sister, Marilyn Jonas of Seal Beach California and many loving nephews and nieces.

He was presided in death by his parents, Florence and Omer Topf, Le Mars; four brothers, Omer Francis Topf, Ossian, Iowa; William (Bill)Topf, Orange, California; Robert (Bob) Topf, Sioux City and Mark Topf, Dubuque.

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