In Memory

Tom Case

Tom Case

Thomas Case of Hemlock, Michigan Passed away Thursday October 4, 2007 at Covenant Cooper at the age of 64 years. Thomas was born August 7, 1943 the son of the late Donald and Iva Lee (Hitchcock) Case. Thomas married Kathleen Zastrow November 11, 1972 she survives him. Thomas was a member of Zion Lutheran church in Hemlock. Surviving besides his wife Kathleen are three daughters; Tami (Jeff) Haas, Clarksville, Arkansas; Stephanie (Brian) Szagesh, Mt. Pleasant; Renee Ruggles, Midland; nine grandchildren, three brothers Don, Charlie and Tim.

 



 
  Post Comment

07/12/11 09:28 AM #1    

Robert (Bob) Chizek

To Tom and his Family:

When I started at North Kansas City High School, Tom Case lived across the street from me.  He drove a 55-Ford and asked if I would like to ride to school with him and his friend Don Lightle.  I did and the next two years were filled with fun, good memories and the creation of the Horseman Car Club and the start of many good friendships. 

Tom Case, Don Lightle, Chuck Bess and I (Bob Chizek) all had customized cars and we all worked while going to highschool.  We were not in sports and were not part of the elite groups at NKCHS.  We were just kids who had to work while in school and who had fun fixing up and keeping up our own cars.  We decided that since were were not part of any highschool group, we would start our own--The Horsemen Car Club.  The rest was like a story out of Grease, the Movie!  Tom found some jackets at a bargin price and had a horseman logo and our names put on the gold jackets.  We all drove to school and parked along the back row in the parking lot across from the highschool or drove through Allen's Drive-in with our Horsemen jackets hanging in the back window of our cars.  We had parties at my house which resulted in our club jackets being banned from the highschool, we went on picnics in Swope Park, we attended football games.  We were always double-dating with other car club members and their dates.  We would go to the KC dragstrip to race our cars below the C. Missouri River Bridge.  It was a fun time and I have many good memories resulting from those years and my friend--Tom Case.

Our senior year, Tom and I were both in COE and worked at the old Palace Clothing Store in North Kansas City.  He worked in the shoe department and I in men's clothing.  The shoe department always had squirt or dart guns they gave away to kids that bought shoes.  However, Tom and I thought the toys were for us.  We had dart gun fights and squirt gun fights in the store.  Or, we would see if we could shoot the cigerette out of Mr. Snow's (distingushed old suite salesman) mouth back when employees could smoke on the floor in retail stores.  It is a wonder that Mr. Petree, the store manager, didn't fire both of us.

Later, I tracked Tom down and found he had moved to Michigan.  After constant harassement, I got him to come back to join the rest of The Horsemen Car Club guys for the 25th Class Reunion.  Sometime after that, I took an Vocational Administrators job at Owens Technical College in Toledo, Ohio.  My wife Barbara and I located Tom and his wife in Hemlock, Michigan.  We all met several times in Detroit to take trips to Canada or tour things in the Deerborn, Mi. area, such as Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Home.  It was like we could pick-up and still have things in common to talk about after 30-years or so after highschool.

I'm sorry that Tom Case has passed away.  He was my dear friend for a good part of my life.  He was so full of life and just fun to be associated with.  Tom...you are missed...my friend.  You and your friends became my friends when I first started at NKCHS.  You all always made people feel welcomed!

Thanks for the Memories,

R.L. (Bob) Chizek, M.Ed

 

 

 

 

 

 


  Post Comment