Mike was born in Fargo, ND where he grew up and attended school graduating from Shanley High School in 1977. He attended Moorhead State University and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Mortuary Science in 1983. He married Michelle FitzGerald in 1982. They lived in West Fargo, ND where Mike worked for the Boulger Funeral Home in Fargo. In 1984 they moved to Grafton, ND where Mike worked for the Kamrowski-Henriksen Funeral Homes until 1996 when he went to work for the Tollefson Funeral Homes. In 1997 Mike and Michelle purchased the funeral homes from Tom and Jan Nermyr.
Mike and Michelle have two children. They are members of the St. Johns Catholic Church. Mike is a member of the Grafton Knights of Columbus, North Dakota Funeral Directors Assoc. and is currently serving as a member of the Unity Hospital Foundation Board.