Michael Harold Kobold, born on February 25, 1934, in Harlan, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 6th, at the age of 91, surrounded by his six loving children.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Sylvia Kobold; his sisters Marietta, Helen, Sally, and Carol; his brother Jack; and his wife Shirley Kobold, who passed away just one day before him.

Mike spent his early years on a farm in Western Shelby, Iowa. Mike graduated from Harlan High School and held the school record for the mile for 21 years. After graduation, he moved to Chicago for a brief time before joining the Marine Corps, where he served as a drill sergeant during the Korean War.

Following his military service, Mike relocated to Southern California, where he met his future wife Carolyn, through a fellow Marine who would later become his brother-in-law. Together, they raised six beautiful children.

A gifted carpenter, Michael could build anything—from boats to campers to houses. He built his first home in the hills of Whittier California. Mike also remodeled several of his future homes throughout his career in construction. His dedication and skill led him to oversee major projects as a superintendent, including challenging assignments in Maryland and Santa Barbara. During his time in Maryland, he brought his family to live with him for four months, creating cherished memories through educational trips to New York City, Washington D.C., Niagara Falls, Gettysburg, Williamsburg, Philadelphia, and more.

Mike brought a touch of Iowa farm life to Whittier California, raising cows, goats, chickens, geese, rabbits, and guinea pigs with his children. His sons learned to milk cows and took on many other daily chores, including retrieving escaped cows from neighbors' gardens—often in the middle of the night.

Despite his busy schedule, Mike found time to coach his sons' Little League baseball teams. In 1973, he moved his family from Whittier to Danville, Northern California, to help his youngest son with asthma escape the smog. He continued his work as a superintendent on a major construction project in Oakland.

Mike later ventured into entrepreneurship, founding a successful business selling compost, bark, soil, and decorative rock. After selling the business, he remained active in construction, specializing in excavation and demolition work for contractors he had met through his business. In his later years, Mike settled in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, with his wife Shirley, and enjoyed spending time around his farmhouse and barn.

Mike is survived by his six children and their spouses, Mark Kobold (Debbie), Michael Kobold (Florence), Martin Kobold (Phyllis: deceased), Angela Skalin (Len), Douglas Kobold (Jenny), Christina Watson (Mike); 13 grandchildren, 2 step grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by five nephews and four nieces. All loved him deeply. Michael always found time to travel and visit his relatives across the country, sometimes even traveling with them throughout the country.

He was known for his storytelling, generosity, and unwavering willingness to help those in need. Mike maintained an open-door policy for anyone he cared about, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, hard work, and love.

He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.