Pamala Ann Mueller of Carmel, Indiana, an avid gardener and insatiable reader, died unexpectedly July 23, 2019, in Carmel, Indiana. Pam, 73, was born in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1969, she emigrated to Indianapolis in a VW Beetle with her husband, Jim Tygum; and their children, Greta and Olin Garth Tygum . Pam and Jim later divorced but remained friends until his death in 2016. In addition to raising kids, Pam’s complete work resume would take multiple pages. A different job might become part of any conversation (a week at an Eastside pizza place recently popped up). She worked Downtown at L.S. Ayres and for more than 10 years as a legal receptionist at Stark, Doninger & Smith. She was an AmeriCorps staff member, coached special education students at Tech High School and for IPS and was a case manager at Midtown Mental Health. In the community, she’d been president of the Indianapolis Women’s Chorus and an IndyChoruses board member; a member of a visiting spirituality group at Indiana Women’s Prison; and on People’s Health Center Advisory Board. But those details don’t speak to Pam’s spirit, smile or, on occasion, her stubbornness. She loved learning and attended IUPUI, Ivy Tech and St. Mary-of-the-Woods at various times. She was phenomenally well-read, with interests ranging from history to Area 51, Harry Potter to nonfiction and cookbooks. She took care of people, houses, gardens and pets. And Pam loved to travel, especially to visit family in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin, plus friends in a cabin on Michigan’s Northport Bay. Pam’s life will be celebrated at noon Aug. 17 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis, 615 W. 43rd St. Cremation Society of Indiana is handling arrangements. Friends are invited to write a story about Pam and email it to storiesaboutpam@gmail.com to share with the family. She was preceded in death by her brother, William Mueller. Survivors include former partner, Judy Wolf; children Greta (Kevin) Johnson and Olin Garth Tygum; sisters Carla Soderberg and Wanda (Arvid) Lekies ; granddaughters Alicia Mister and Sarah Broderick; great-grandsons Isak and Jakob Broderick; a stepgranddaughter, Heather Collins, and six other stepgrandchildren; four nieces and a nephew.
