An old farmer finished his last round, treated his last calf and finally took the rest of the day off.

Thomas “Tom” Salwei, 81, formerly of Zeeland and recently living in Bismarck, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Good Samaritan Society – St. Vincent's in Bismarck after a battle with dementia. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother and friend will be greatly missed. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am on Monday, June 22, 2026 at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Zeeland. Burial will be in St. Andrew's Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Sunday, June 21, 2026 from 5 pm to 7 pm at Sannes Family Funeral Home followed by Rosary/Vigil at 7 pm.

Tom and his wife of 60 years, Aggie, moved to Bismarck in 2010. Though this marked his unofficial retirement from farming in Zeeland, Tom’s heart and mind never truly left Zeeland and the farm. Despite the 100-mile distance, he frequently returned to the place he cherished - drawn back by his land, a tight-knit circle of friends and the deep sense of purpose the land provided him.

Even when dementia slowly stole his memory, Tom vividly recounted memories of cattle, crops and chores as if it were yesterday.

In addition to farming, Tom’s passion’s included sports, especially watching the Minnesota Twins and women’s college fast-pitch softball. He treasured his close circle of friends in Zeeland, whether that be meeting at their farm or 4 pm Happy Hour at the Zeeland Bar. Most special to him was spending time with his children and their families. A tough, stubborn old-schooler with German-from-Russia heritage, he showed his soft side by delighting in spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren, often singing to them while working on the farm or sharing candy from his shirt pocket.

Tom was born Oct. 10, 1944 to Roy and Agatha (Streifel) Salwei. Along with five siblings, Tom was raised in Zeeland and worked on the family farm from a young age through high school. After graduating from Zeeland High School in 1964, Tom began working in Bismarck, and on July 24, 1965 he married his high school sweetheart, Aggie Schaffner, at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Zeeland.

Their first child, Roger, was born April 1, 1966, and around a year later, Tom and Aggie moved to Minneapolis for career opportunities. Tom worked blue collar jobs while going to night school at Dunwoody College for the emerging field of computer programming. After Dunwoody, Tom landed a computer operator role at Thermo King Corp in Bloomington, MN, and eventually rose to a computer operations manager position. Tom and Aggie bought their first house in Richfield, MN, in 1969. They later settled in Burnsville, MN where Tom and Aggie built a new house. Soon after moving to Burnsville, their second son, Tim, was born on March 25, 1974. While living in the Twin Cities, Tom’s brother Jim asked Tom to join his fast-pitch softball team, a sport Tom quickly fell in love with. Tom and Jim played with each other for a number of years, playing in tournaments in the Twin Cities and across the upper Midwest. Tom not only enjoyed the games but the camaraderie and socialization that accompanied it.

Although his job at Thermo King Corp provided stability, Tom chose a new path for his family in 1978. That June, he and Aggie moved to Zeeland to take over his father Roy’s farm, seeking an independence that corporate life could not match.

Once back in Zeeland, Tom started raising small-grain crops and cattle during an economically challenging time for all farmers. Investing in hard work rather than debt that accompanied newer equipment defined Tom’s approach to farming and life for the next 32 years. Slowly, Tom grew his cattle herd and purchased additional land. At his peak, Tom had over 500 head of cattle in his feedlots and pastures.

While in Zeeland, Tom played slow-pitch softball, rekindling his competitive spirit while building new friendships that would last a lifetime. Known as the Silver Fox among his teammates for his white hair, Tom enjoyed the weekend tournaments in Strasburg, Linton, Pollock and Bismarck.

Tom is survived by Aggie, his devoted wife; two sons Roger (Linda) Salwei, Tim (Tracy) Salwei; five grandchildren Vanessa (Erin) Magrum, Jessica Salwei (Cole Moch), Tiffney Salwei, Adam Salwei, Addi Salwei; great-grandchildren Morgan Magrum and Ayden Moch; three sisters Jeanette (Norb) Eberle, Sylvia Unterserher, Donna (Danny) Renner.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents; his sister Marian (Salwei) Wald and his brother Jim Salwei.