Michael Glen Tetmeyer, 79, passed away peacefully on Dec. 17, 2025, after a seven-month battle with Lymphoma cancer. Up until the very end, Mike was still witty, full of love for his family and generous to all who surrounded him. Mike lived a life dedicated to serving God, family, friends and a career that allowed him to build a legacy.
Mike was born on July 26, 1946, in Kansas City, Mo., to John and Charlotte (Belles) Tetmeyer, the third of five boys. The family later moved to Ottumwa, where his father started a small neighborhood grocery store. At a very young age, along with his brothers, Mike helped his Dad in the store. His earliest memory was an assignment to bag potatoes in five-pound bags — at the age of three! Mike worked for Benner T Grocers for $1/hour through high school. He graduated from Ottumwa High School in 1964, enrolled at Iowa State University and moved to Ames to live with his older brother, Larry, who was working at Hy-Vee. At a store picnic, Mike met the store manager who must have recognized if one brother is good, two would be better! After offering him $1.10/hour, Mike quickly jumped at the opportunity and started his long career working for Hy-Vee.
Within a few months Mike met the bookkeeper, Madelyn Sinclair, as she was passing through Aisle 3 and asked her for a date. They married in April 1967 and welcomed two children, Todd and Denise, to their family. Following many promotions, he transferred to various stores in Johnston, Des Moines and Kirksville, Mo. He then received the nod to manage the new store in Owatonna, Minn., in 1975. He also opened a new, larger store, in Mankato, Minn., in 1983.
After building a reputation in these stores with strong sales and profits, in 1984 he was promoted to district manager of the Cherokee Division, overseeing a group of 33 stores in Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. In 1988 he became the district manager of the Des Moines area stores and was quickly promoted in 1989 to director of marketing at Hy-Vee Inc. in Chariton. He and Madelyn moved to Chariton, and then Des Moines, when the company moved their corporate offices to West Des Moines. Mike retired from Hy-Vee as Senior Vice President of Marketing in 2004, receiving various awards throughout his tenure.
He was a Hall of Fame inductee, Officer of the Year and member of the Board of Directors. Known to his colleagues as “Teddy” and to industry associates as “Mr. Marketing,” he knew “more things about more things in our business than anyone who came before him,” then CEO Ron Pearson said. He was a driving force during a time of dramatic growth who helped take Hy-Vee from a “good supermarket company” to a “best-in-class modern company that has outpaced the industry.” Mike was the chairperson for the Hy-Vee Senior LPGA Golf Classic in 2004 and 2005, a board member of Midwest Heritage Bank, and Meyocks and Priebe Advertising. He was an active member of the Iowa Grocer’s Association and the Iowa Business Council. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Hope Lodge in Iowa City, with the University of Iowa Hospital. No matter the position or location, Mike was always able to lend a “helpful smile in every aisle.”
In retirement, Mike and Madelyn split their time between Des Moines and Bradenton, Fla. Creating new friendships at Living Lord Lutheran Church, attending concerts and plays, and hosting friends and family, they always managed to stay busy. They also began traveling more, frequently-visiting 47 states and several countries on five continents.
Mike and Madelyn are supporters of a variety of local philanthropies in Des Moines and the Sarasota area including: Blank Park Zoo, The Des Moines Civic Center, Variety Club of Iowa, Children’s Miracle Network, Osolo Repertory Theater-Student Sponsors, the State College of Florida, Sarasota Orchestra, Manatee Players and the John and Mabel Ringling Museum and the Circus Arts Conservatory and the Big Cat Habitat of Sarasota.
Mike has been a member of the Jaycees, a lifetime-member of the Elks Club, Shriners International, the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce, an AFS Exchange Student Host, and served on several committees in his church. But most of all, Mike greeted hundreds of friends and relatives on their birthday and anniversary by sending cards and electronic greetings every year. This was his hobby in retirement!
Mike’s greatest joy in life was his family and the time he could spend with them. He was so proud of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mike is survived by his wife of 58 years, Madelyn; children, Todd (Jennifer) Tetmeyer of Cedar Falls; and Denise (Jim) Burton of O’Fallon, Ill.; grandchildren: Andrew (Samantha) Tetmeyer, Mackenzie (Chet) Bullington, Katelyn Burton, Braden (Lauren) Tetmeyer and Nathan (Autumn) Burton; great-grandchildren: Paisley, Stella, Zeke and Goldie Tetmeyer; Theo, Tripp and Betty Bullington; brother Bob (Cindy) Tetmeyer; sisters-in-law: Nancy Tetmeyer, Judy (Jim) Hawkins, Marilyn Douglas and Mona (Bill) Carstensen; brother-in-law Milan (Dawn) Sinclair; and many nieces and nephews.
Mike was preceded in death by parents, John (Florence) Tetmeyer and Charlotte Tetmeyer; parent-in-laws, Dewayne and Regena Sinclair; brothers: John (Connie) Tetmeyer, Larry (Carol) Tetmeyer and David Tetmeyer; nephew Doug Tetmeyer; in-laws: Dick Merrifield, Merle (Carol) Sinclair, Nancy Sinclair, Marion (Jan) Sinclair, Martha (George) Illg and Gary Anderson; and niece Missy Dougherty.
Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 9, at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 1105 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines. The service will be livestreamed through St. Mark Lutheran Church.
Additional services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 12, at Living Lord Lutheran Church, 11107 Palmbrush Trail, Lakewood Ranch, Fla., with visitation one hour prior.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Variety-the Children’s Charity of Iowa at https://varietyiowa.com/ or Big Cat Habitat, Sarasota, Fla., at https://bigcathabitat.org/support/donate/
Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.
