A LIVESTREAM of Tom's Memorial Service will begin by 10:30 AM, Thursday, on the Powers Funeral Home Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Powers-Funeral-Home-312790329063739/

Thomas L. Steinkoenig – age 88, of Laurens, passed away on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, at his home in Laurens, Iowa.

Thomas L. Steinkoenig, teacher/band leader, was born November 2, 1932, in Mitchell, South Dakota, to Joseph and Emma Steinkoenig. He was baptized and confirmed into the Presbyterian faith as a child. He attended schools in Mitchell and at age 14 and 15, played trombone solos in the Mitchell Municipal Band with his dad who taught him how to play the trombone. He excelled in music, played with a dance band that traveled throughout the state and was a trombone soloist during his high school years, most often times played at the famous Corn Palace. He was also interested in sports as he was involved in basketball but later chose band over basketball, however, he was a bat boy for the Mitchell Kernels Baseball Team which was the city team.

After his junior year, he moved to Los Angeles with his parents where he graduated from Compton High School and Compton Junior College, where he played first chair trombone in the Compton Concert Band and lead trombone player in the Compton Big Band, which participated in "Bands in the Making" on KTLA Television, which was a new experience because television was new then – and they won first place. First place prize was band instruments and sound equipment for the schools. His first band was "Downbeat Tommy and His Jive Five" which he started at age 17, that played in the Los Angeles area several nights each week. He attended classes at two junior colleges so he could play in the jazz bands at both. He later graduated from UCLA with a degree in music and later attended the University of Boulder for Masters studies. While attending UCLA, he was solo trombonist with the UCLA Concert Band, sang in the UCLA Men Glee Club, played in the Peperdine Symphony and played in the Rose Bowl Parade two years with the Huntington Park Youth Band. Through the years, he played with many famous big bands, including Lawrence Welk, Russ Morgan, Dick Jergens and others.

He was married in 1955 to Shirley Early and they had four children, Nancy, Paul, Beth and T.J. Years later, the marriage ended in divorce. In 1983, he married Ruth Hildreth, also a music teacher, who he met in Denver, Colorado. Many beautiful notes of music have been played during this union, which made lasting memories.

His first teaching position was in Newhall, California and later in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and eventually in Denver, Colorado. In addition to teaching public school band, choir and orchestra from elementary through high school levels, he became the director of the prestigious Denver Concert Band for many years, during which time he led them to outstanding achievements. One of the thrills of directing the Denver Concert Band was when daughter, Nancy, was guest pianist and played "Rhapsody in Blue" in concert with the band held at the Arvada Center to the delight of a large crowd who applauded with a long standing ovation. A lasting memory was also when he took The Denver Concert Band to his home state of South Dakota to direct the band in concert at Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills. Another memory was directing America's Youth in Concert (a group of 250 all-state musicians) in Innsbruck, Austria while on tour. He remembers fondly all the wonderful students that he was fortunate to chaperone to Europe twice, along with other band directors and staff.

He also had four popular bands in Denver, which included Herr Steinkoenig's Ratskapella German Band, The Old Townhall Dixieland Band and the Sentimental Swing Little Big Band. They were non-rehearsal bands composed of public school music directors that delighted dancers wherever they played. While living in Denver, members of the Colorado Springs Military Academy Falconaire's also played in his big band when they were not on tour.

Upon retirement from teaching and moving to Westcliffe, Colorado, a small old-west town in the Sangre de Christo Mountains, he organized and directed The Wet Mountain Chorale, which was an outstanding group of 75 singers who delighted large audiences with several concerts a year. While living in SW Colorado, he also started his own real estate company as a realtor and broker, during which time he earned the reputation of being the most honest realtor in the valley. In addition he owned his own house painting business, which was a carry-over from teaching days, something most all men teachers did during their summer months.

Along with teaching for nearly thirty years, he always had the desire to make people smile while dancing to the music of his bands. Upon moving to Iowa in 2000, he started another big band with the same name, "Sentimental Swing Big Band." also composed of professional players, who were retired band teachers. He continued to front his band and play trombone up until year, 2021, which ended the musical career that was started at age twelve and ending at age eighty-eight.

Through the years, his musical talents found him as guest trombonist for many church concerts and events, one of which he played for gospel songwriters Bill and Gloria Gaither, who were seated on the front row. He was also music director, along with his wife, Ruth, in several churches in Colorado and in Iowa, where he directed vocal choirs, bell choirs, men's quartets of which he was a member, trombonist and pianist along with his wife who played the organ.

In his late eighties, he was still teaching all band instruments and guitar private students in his Laurens, Iowa, home music studio, along with his wife who taught many piano/organ students. His band still plays at many events around the state of Iowa.

Listed among his favorite past-times were pheasant hunting (big time), traveling with his family throughout United States in the Ford pick-up camper, building furniture (quality hardwood furniture), fishing and hunting, watching world news and politics on TV, motor home traveling, and growing roses. He also loved mowing the lawn with his John Deere tractor mower, which made him feel a little like a farmer.

He participated in Kiwanis, Rotary, Eagles and Elk organizations, as well as the Lions and Masons. He is a member of the Bethany Lutheran Church in Laurens. Through the years, Tom and Ruth appeared to be musical missionaries because with God as their guide, they found themselves in churches of many denominations whenever there was a need for a instrumentalist, organist/pianist, bell choir or vocal directors.

Tom is survived by his brother, John and wife Barbara, San Clemente, California; his children, Nancy and Kenn Ziebart, Seattle, Washington; Paul and Lina Steinkoenig, Hyattsville, MD; Beth Steinkoenig, Seattle, Washington; and T.J. Steinkoenig, Mytle Beach, South Carolilna. Surviving also is his wife, Ruth, and her family – Vicki and Bob Roby, Rockwell City, Iowa; Randy and Becky Hildreth, Rockwell City, Iowa; Lori Lenhart and Kelly Esser, Montrose Colorado; Tony and Val Hildreth, Fairplay, Colorado. He is survived by twelve grandchildren, Alex, Nick, Jamie, Justine, Chad, Jasey, Karie, Micah, McKenna, Heather, Natasha, Mariah and ten great grandchilddren.

Preceding Tom in death were his parents, Joe and Emma Steinkoenig; sister, Eileen Willis; brother, Rick Steinkoenig; and grandson, Theo Ziebart.

Tom was truly a music man, who had a story to tell, however, a guy who always turned down the offer by his wife to write his life story. He always said that he would just rather live it instead of talking or writing about it.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Tom's family will be used to benefit students in need of instruments.