On Sept. 8, 2021, Dean James Thomann, 65, passed away on his beloved ranch near Riverside, with his devoted wife, Susan, by his side and his daughters, Deanna and Dana, just steps away. A fall-like breeze flowed through Dean’s bedroom where days ago, loved ones gathered to wish a then-lucid Dean peace.
Dean was born in Washington, Iowa, Feb. 28, 1956. He was a middle child of Bernard “Bud” and Mildred (Schnoebelen) Thomann, who farmed south of Riverside. Growing up in a three-bedroom home with eight siblings, Dean had a lively childhood. On his deathbed, Dean maintained he was not the boy who shot out the TV screen with a BB gun during an especially exciting episode of Gunsmoke.
Dean was a hard worker his whole life. One of his earliest chores was helping his mom milk cows. As a young man, Dean slung thousands of hay and straw bales into sturdy old barns on the hottest days of the year. He and his brothers toiled in numerous crop fields and on many construction projects to GSD (get s*** done).
By the time Dean graduated Highland High School in 1974, he had started his own farm near Riverside, where he lived with a bunch of buddies in an old farmhouse. In 1976, the guys cleared out to make room for Dean’s bride, Susan (Berry) of Lone Tree, Iowa. The couple farmed together and raised two daughters, Deanna and Dana. In those old days, the family sold feeder pigs at the Kalona Sales Barn. During the 1980s farm crisis, Dean wore a cap with a message: “Export Reagan, Keep the Farmers.” The Democratic Party best aligned with Dean’s working-class values.
In the 1990s, Dean became discouraged by developments in hog production that, in his mind, emphasized numbers over quality and a factory model that felt discordant with the fresh-air farming he liked and knew best. He decided to make a big change, replacing his little swine operation with some good mothering cows. He and Susan also started Trails End Fence Company. Between 1999 and 2015, Trails End installed miles and miles of ornamental and field fence throughout Iowa.
In the meantime, Dean and Susan’s herd, Trails End Angus, grew to become a cow-calf operation of all purebred registered black Angus. Dean put his heart and soul into the operation. He selected the best genetics in the nation to advance his herd, which specialized in production stock. For years, he and Susan calved in the wintertime, built fences during the mild months, and carried out countless chores.
In 2010, Dean was diagnosed with colon cancer. Throughout his long illness, Dean sought medical opinions from UIHC, Mayo Clinic, and MD Anderson. He endured approximately 150 chemotherapy and radiation treatments as well as nine surgeries. One particularly grueling surgery at Mayo resulted in a carefully placed bovine patch on Dean’s left ileac vein. After that procedure, he jokingly proclaimed he was part bull.
Despite his illness, Dean excelled in the cattle business. He served as the president of the Southeast Iowa Angus Association in 2015, earned the highest-selling Angus bull at the Iowa Beef Expo in 2016, and hosted three annual cattle sales at his ranch. Dean’s proudest and saddest day was December 14, 2020, when he dispersed the herd at the Kalona Sales Barn. He was grateful to customers who came from all over Iowa and the nation to bid on and buy his cattle. The day was the capping achievement in his cowboy career.
Those who visited Dean in his final days found his personality still very much intact. Dean welcomed company into his bedroom, where he sheepishly remarked, “I’m just being lazy again today.” He offered nephews cold cans of Coors and Busch Light and “wished to heck” he felt like drinking one with them. He talked about Hawkeye football and how much he liked watching that team. He reminisced with friend Dave Simon about their travels to the Sandhills in search of the best cattle. He made silly faces at his niece’s baby boy, who wore a onesie with a horse print in honor of great-uncle Dean. He hummed Willie Nelson tunes and talked about his favorite trees. He thought of the hilltop barn he built and its rustic bunkhouse where he partied with Tony Hora, Bennie Waldschmidt, and other friends. And with a glint in his dark eyes, Dean fondly recalled times he and his brothers spent on fast horses at team penning competitions. Dean told his daughters how proud he was of them and let Susan know that she was the love of his life. “We did good,” he told her.
Dean knew he couldn’t live with cancer for nearly a dozen years without a circle of strong people. At the center were his brothers Larry, Greg, and Kirk; sister Linda and her husband, Gary; and friend Dave. These loved ones offered Dean comfort and unconditional support. Their actions ranged from baling Dean’s hay to making him cinnamon rolls (his mother’s recipe) to preparing the ranch for the on-site cattle sales. Neighbors and friends also rallied behind Dean. The list of helpers is too long to include here, but please know that “Dean’s girls”—Sue, Dee, and Dana—are forever grateful to those who gave their time and effort. Dean loved you.
Dean is preceded in death by his parents; sister: Ruth (Michael) Welsh; brother-in-law: Patrick (Linda) Ridenour; niece: Kimberly (Dave) Friese; and niece: Jamie Thomann. Dean is now reunited in heaven with his hog dog, Bo, and his cow horse, Cutter Bill.
Dean is survived by his wife of 45 years: Susan; his two daughters: Deanna Thomann and Dana Thomann, both of Iowa City; and his siblings: Linda (Gary) Kron of Ainsworth, Larry (Tina) Thomann, Alan (Linda) Thomann, Janet (Perry) Nicholson, Greg (Janice) Thomann, and Kirk (Teri) Thomann, all of Riverside, and Ross (Jane) Thomann of Columbus Junction; sister-in-law: Linda (Stan) Ridenour Yoder of Iowa City; and many “ornery” nieces and nephews.
Dean’s ashes will be interred at Trails End Ranch in a private ceremony at a pasture cemetery that Dean established for his family. On Saturday, Sept. 25, friends are welcome to toast Dean in a celebration-of-life gathering at VFW Post 6414, 1259 Riverside Road, Riverside, Iowa. Family will be at the VFW from 2-5 p.m. on that day. Memorials may be directed to Hospice of Washington County, http://hospicewc.com/support.html.
