GALENA, Ill. — Michael A. “Hiko” Simmons left this earth on June 27, 2024, to join his daughter Jessica in heaven.
A funeral service will be held at 7 PM on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at the Furlong Funeral Chapel, Galena, where friends may call after 4 PM until the time of service. A celebration of life will follow on Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Rec Park from Noon to 5 PM. Mike was born January 7, 1962, in Dubuque, IA, the son of Catherine “Rose” Zeal and Ralph “Hiko” Simmons.
He graduated from Galena High School in 1980. He started his lifelong working career for Leo Oldenburg in 1978 at Leo’s Super Value. He worked for Ron Sproule Oil Company for 18 years and operated his own lawn care and snowplowing business for 18 years.
He was employed by the City of Galena as the Fire Chief and Fire Inspector from 2003 to 2013. Mike sold the business in 2013 to pursue a Fire Science degree from Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta, IA. The hard work of receiving the degree paid off when he was hired as a building inspector for the City of Marshall, MN.
He then moved to Rochester, MN, in 2015, where he was hired as a building inspector. He remained there for six years until 2021 before returning to Galena to be closer to his family. Mike was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer along with lymphoma in 2018.
He fought a long and hard battle for the last six years. Many considered him a workaholic but did so to support his family. He enjoyed working, gardening, motorcycle rid.
