Michael Tigges

Mike Tigges passed away on November 21, 2021, at home in Adel, surrounded by the sounds of laughter of his children, wife, ex-wife, and Kayla Carlsten (for whom there is no title possible for what she is to this family). Mike began changing this world when he was born, on October 4, 1978, and continued to do so for the next 43 years, one month, 2 weeks, and 3 days. The full impact he had on this world won’t be known for years, but impact it he has! Those that knew Mike knew him as one of the kindest, most patient and giving people they had met. Those that knew him well were privileged to experience his humor, hard work, loyalty, love of the 49ers, Hawkeyes, The Dukes of Hazzard, Mopar, He-Man, and his inability to give up on anything and anyone. Those of us that were honored to know him best, knew a side of him not widely recognized. That side, most would be surprised existed. He was by far the funniest, most ridiculous person I ever had the joy of knowing. This was reserved mostly for his children and close family. But if you ever saw it, please know you are one of the few and hold that close. His goal was to make us laugh everyday, and with the exception of a few when he was fairly unconscious in the hospital, he did just that. He had some favorite ways to get us all to laugh. They included but were not limited to, Giant Underpants from PeeWee Herman, any Weird Al song, Cookie Monster impressions, Adam Sandler quotes, TommyBoy bits, and quoting any commercial from the 80’s as well as the G.I. Joe theme and A-Team theme. If you have never seen those done, I grieve for you. They were works of art honed for years. Mike did have his issues. We often discussed the possibility that he had developed a hoarding tendency. We immediately dismissed this notion with a laugh. Because as he said…”It’s not hoarding when your *stuff* is this cool”. And he was right. We traveled literally thousands of miles around this country picking up and delivering treasures he found online that were an amazing deal. He had an eye and talent at turning metal junk to works of art, whether it was a pedal tractor, candy machine, refrigerator, or car. He had the Midas touch. Or, as we joked sometimes, the “Mikas Touch”. Of course, it was fine that his garage was usually full, and truly, who actually parks in their garage? He loved to change a well known song to his own personal artform. His daughter, Merrill Williams, found out the hard way that his lyrics were almost indistinguishable from real ones. Hence… “Stop, collaborate and listen, Mike is back with a brand new invention”. His true love was his family. His biggest goal and drive was to be there for his children. To be at every game, concert, play, competition, or anything else his children wanted him at. He wanted them all to know how proud he was of them, and to be able to see that he was there for them. That was a void he had in his life, and did not want his children to feel that same void. His stepdad, Steve, was a driving force in his life, and he loved and respected him as the Dad he was to Mike. Even so far as promising not to put headers on another car that he restored because Steve told him if he did, Steve wouldn’t help him with that car. So no headers were ever installed in another vehicle of his. The 1968 Charger that he was in process of restoring was promised to never have them, no matter how many people told him it should. “Steve Daugherty said he would never help me with it, so...Not Doing It!” Mike went to DMACC straight out of high school and studied autobody repair. From there he was recruited by Nationwide Insurance and became an insurance adjuster. He hated sitting at a desk all day, and to be honest, when Nationwide commercials began including the jingle...Nationwide is on your side...he would typically look at me and say…”Nahhhh”. He stayed at that job for 17 years. Mostly because he was too committed to his family to think of himself and how much he eventually hated it. He was paid decently with lots of vacation that allowed him to spend time with the family, so he stayed. In October of 2016, he left Nationwide and we started a family business with his father in-law Greg, and me, his wife. Mike was able to do what he always loved, buying, restoring and selling houses. Now, let’s be honest, most married couples can’t renovate a room, let alone whole houses without their marriage suffering. This again shows Mike’s true nature. With the exception of lots of eye rolling, we worked together very well. Most of the time, that is. This led to him eventually leaving a legacy that will likely last decades or longer. Big Blue. In 2017, the house always known as Big Blue in Adel, went on the market. He knew that it could either make or break our business. When he heard that the other offer that had been made was going to tear down Big Blue, he felt he had no choice but to save her. In November of 2017, we bought Big Blue and spent the next year bringing it back to life. Mike gave blood, sweat, tears, and sometimes 16 hour days, in order to bring Big Blue back. Besides his children, and family, Big Blue is the legacy he never realized he was leaving. Mike never saw that what he did with that property was as big of a deal as everyone else did. That’s just the way he was. His vision, skill, and loyalty won out again. Yet he was still so modest and humble his whole life that he never realized that what he had done will make a difference in this town for years. If you were to look in the walls and floors of Big Blue or any house that Mike touched, you will find his signature on floor joists, wall studs, everywhere. He didn’t know he was leaving a legacy, but he signed it all anyway. It was a joke to him, and a lovely gift for us. In October of 2020, with the help of a blood test to check for possible lingering infection, we found out that Mike had cancer. The days that followed brought more information, but none of it was what we wanted to hear. Mike was diagnosed with T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia (TPLL). This is an incredibly rare and aggressive form of cancer. Without a stem cell transplant, his prognosis was less than 7 months. He had his transplant on February 19, 2021, with the help of his son as his donor. That gave Mike and all of us the last 9 months. They were not all great months, but Mike fought through them and in late August and September, he felt the best he had in over a year. His cancer returned in September and we found out at the end of September. The cancer was too fast this time, and his body had fought through so much, it just couldn’t hold on. But in true Mike Tigges fashion, he surprised his medical team again, by accomplishing the two things he desperately wanted to do. On October 31st, Mike and I and our 4 sons flew to Chicago to see a 49ers game with tickets gifted to us by Athletico and Dream Foundation. He told his nurse the morning of the 30th not to get in his way. He watched the 49ers beat the Bears surrounded by his sons on the 50 yard line that day. His last goal was to walk our daughter down the aisle. He did this at Big Blue in a small ceremony on November 14th. The last week of his life was spent doing what he wanted, he was surrounded by his children, wife, exwife and family. He laughed, played poker, watched his favorite movies, and watched football. He passed away at 4:20 PM on Sunday, November 21st. We miss him dearly. He will always be missed, we didn’t have enough time with him, but he always made sure that the time he spent with his family meant something. It is important to explain a little more about Mike’s character and how it shaped the lives of those around him. Those that know the family well, will tell you how strange we are. The main reason, and there are many, is because of the closeness of our blended family. Mike always saw the best in people, and wanted those that he cared for to have what is best for them. He always said he knew it was best for his boys to stay with Amanda, his ex-wife. Not because he didn’t want them all of the time, but because he knew that it was best for them. Amanda is an amazing mother, and he knew that. He always felt it was important for us to have a good relationship and do more than just co-parent. It made him so happy that the two moms worked together. That never stopped. Amanda was here with me the day he passed away, in fact she was here most of the week prior to that. I count her as one of my closest friends. Is that weird in society’s eyes? YES!!! It shouldn’t be though, and who cares what society says about it anyway. Mike loved Amanda until the day he died, as she loved him and still does. I love them both for that and never once felt threatened by it. It was a source of comfort and was exactly Mike. More appropriately, to quote the man himself, “It’s a Mike thing. You wouldn’t understand”. So, to Amanda Tigges, from the depths of my heart, thank you for being with me through this. Thank you for loving Mike. Our children have been so impacted by this relationship, and they see their dad in it and he lives on through them and us. He leaves behind his wife, Laurie Tigges, of Adel, and step children, Merrill Williams (Tyrone), Davison Wadle, and Cooper Wadle. His ex-wife and longest friend, Amanda Tigges, and their children Zack Tigges and Luke Tigges, of Grimes. He is also survived by his parents, Candace and Steve Daugherty, of Adel, and his brother, Brian Tigges (Barb), step brothers, Dustin Daugherty (Amanda), Jack Daugherty (Meghan), Scott Daugherty (Dee), and was preceded in death by his step sister, Stacie, who passed away in 2010. He is also survived by his father, Duane Tigges who lives in Mexico. There is a Celebration of Life for Mike at Harmony Hall in Adel on December 4th at noon. There will be a short ceremony, followed by lots of laughter, throwing footballs in Kinnick Feller Park, eating, crying and talking about cars. The Hawkeyes are going to the Big10 Championship that day, and with Mike’s wishes in mind, the family asks that you refrain from formal attire. We would prefer that you represent your favorite high school, college or NFL team. If you have none, we request that you dress casually. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers and plants, you can instead contribute to a fund to help with expenses and a memorial bench. There is an account set up at Lincoln Savings Bank in the name of Tigges Family. Or a Venmo account for Tigges_Family.