Tod Michael

Services for Tod Michael, 55, of Chariton, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, December 29, 2025, at Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Chariton. A visitation will be held Sunday, December 28, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Interment will take place at Corydon Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in care of the family and will be designated at a later date.
Tod Jason Michael was born on November 10, 1970, in Corydon, Iowa, to Larry and Joan Michael. He grew up in Chariton and graduated from Chariton High School with the Class of 1990. In high school he enjoyed wrestling and football.
From an early age, Tod displayed a natural curiosity and talent for engineering and mechanics. He was known for taking things apart just to see how they worked, often improving them along the way with duct tape. His family fondly recalled his excitement when he once received a case of it for Christmas.
Tod pursued his passion by earning a drafting degree from Indian Hills Community College. He began his career at Johnson Machine Works in Chariton before joining Vermeer in May of 1995. There, Tod built a long and respected career, eventually being promoted to Business Unit Manager for Cutting Edge. He took great pride in his work and was known for his problem-solving abilities, dedication, and willingness to help others succeed.
On October 21, 1995, Tod was united in marriage to the love of his life, Vonda Hill. Their marriage was one of partnership, loyalty, and shared laughter, and together they raised two children, Tristen and Karcyn, who were the center of Tod's world. Faith played an important role in Tod's life, and he was a devoted member of the Chariton Disciples of Christ Church, where he found strength, comfort, and a sense of community throughout the years.
Tod loved spending time on the water and could often be found on his boat, rain or shine, with family and friends. He enjoyed fishing on Lake Rathbun as well as deep sea fishing on Florida vacations. He also had a lifelong passion for working on vehicles. Alongside his brother Thad, Tod co-owned and operated TJM Autobody, where the two shared not only a business but a close bond, enjoying their time working side by side. They enjoyed adding Tristen into that hobby as they restored family heirlooms such as the Ford Mustang and Model A.
Tod joined boy scouts as a small child and later achieved the highest rank of Eagle Scout with the guidance of his father Larry. He then passed that tradition on to his son Tristen and helped to guide him to achieve the same rank. They worked on projects such as the picnic shelter on the cinder path for Tristen's Eagle Scout project. He also taught both of his children his love of hunting and the importance of maintaining their vehicles. He loved supporting his children's passions and even got out of his comfort zone to do the annual drill team Dad's Dance with Karcyn.
Those who knew Tod will remember his strong work ethic, his readiness to help whenever needed, and his ability to teach by example. He valued hard work and passed that lesson on to those around him. He was also well known for his love of Ford vehicles and his fiery road rage-traits his family often joked about, remembering that the only thing shorter than his temper was his fuse, although it did seem to get longer later in life.
His fiery emotions reflected his passion for life and his conviction that when something needed to be done, it should have been done yesterday. His faith grew stronger during his health challenges and he passed that faith onto his family. Many family and friends have reached out to share that they always knew if they needed anything, he would drop everything for them, reminding us how genuine he was, how blessed our family was to have him, and that God called one of the very best home.
Tod will be deeply missed by his wife, Vonda Michael; his children, Tristen Michael and Karcyn Michael (Skyler Storm); his mother, Joan Michael; his siblings, Tammy (Shawn) Moore, Tim (Ronda) Michael, and Thad (Heather) Michael; along with many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, relatives, friends, and church family who loved him and will forever carry his memory in their hearts.
He was proceeded in death by his dad, Larry Michael, and infant brother John Paul Michael.