Woodrow Tighe

February 11, 2005

Funeral services for Woodrow Tighe, 86, of Jamaica, will be 10:00am Tuesday, February 15 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jamaica. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Elvin Woodrow Tighe was born April 2, 1918 on a farm north of Jamaica, Iowa. He was the only child of Leo and Pearl O’Connell Tighe. Woodrow graduated from Jamaica High School in 1935. He studied business at Capital City College in Des Moines. On August 18, 1941, Woodrow married Anna Helen Mischo. Woodrow served in the United States Army Air Corp in World War II. After he was honorably discharged from the service, Woodrow and Helen moved to the family farm south of Jamaica, where they lived the rest of their lives. Woodrow retired from farming in 1985. Woody Tighe was a well-known square dance caller in western Iowa and served as club caller for Perry Star Promenaders Square Dance Club for 30 years. Woodrow was a 60-year member of the Jamaica Legion. He belonged to the Jamaica Lions Club for 37 years. He was a 4-H leader, and a life-time member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jamaica. Woodrow Tighe died February 11, 2005 at the Guthrie County Hospital. He was 86 years of age. Preceding him in death were his parents and his wife, Helen, who died November 6, 2002. Survivors include two daughters: Kathryn Van Gundy and her husband Bob, of Jamaica; and Jean Ferguson and her husband Mike of Grand Junction; three sons: Thomas Tighe and his wife Chris of Petaluma, CA; William Tighe and his wife Mary of Herndon; and Michael Tighe and his wife Gretchen of Jamaica; 14 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; many relatives and friends. Graveside military rites were provided by the American Legion Paul Johnson Post #687 of Jamaica, Iowa. Services were arranged by Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home, Jefferson, Iowa.