Published on September 21, 2026 6:36 am
Last Updated on September 21, 2026 1:38 pm
Michael E. “Mike” Mayhaus, Sr. (age 69) of Effingham, Illinois passed away on September 19, 2026 in Effingham.
Visitation will be held from 4:00-6:00 PM on Monday, September 28, 2026 at Bauer Funeral Home in Effingham, with burial to follow at a later date.
Mike was born on January 31, 1957 in Alton, Illinois, the son of Mathias and Helen (Stuckey) Mayhaus. Mike was very mechanically inclined and enjoyed fixing almost anything. If something was broken in his presence, he was going to have to look at it because it brought him so much joy to simply get something working again. His talent didn’t end with the ability to fix things. Mike proudly thought up and built several machines for differing practical purposes.
In childhood Mike attended St Anthony Schools and was raised on a dairy farm. There wasn’t much he didn’t know about raising cattle and running a farm. This upbringing was pivotal for his mechanical ability because his father taught him to work on tractors and vehicles. Farm equipment repairs gave him the practice to lay a mean bead of weld with a welding machine as well.
Mike is survived by his son, Michael Mayhaus, Jr. (Kristen Kirkpatrick) of Effingham; daughters, Coartney (Damon) Patterson of Newton, and Shannae Weaver (Jesse Schniederjan) of Altamont; grandsons Jeffery, Oliver, Lennox, and Bruce; and granddaughters, Samantha, Lena, and Cecilia.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Mathias Mayhaus and Helen Stuckey Mayhaus, and his brother, Patrick Mayhaus.
Mike will be missed by many.