Donald E. Bauer

Donald E. “Don” Bauer, age 84, of Mayville, Wisconsin, passed away on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Hospice Home of Hope in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Visitation for Don will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mayville on Friday, October 30, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 12:00 noon, with Fr. Tom Biersack presiding. Burial will take place at St. Andrew’s Cemetery in LeRoy.

Don was born in the Town of LeRoy during the middle of a snowstorm on February 27, 1942, the youngest of six children born to Louis and Evelyn (Ertl) Bauer. He married Anne Lehman on July 10, 1965, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mayville, Wisconsin.

Following high school graduation, Don studied electronics through the National Radio Institute in Washington, D.C. From 1959 to 1965, he worked for Knowles Produce and Trading Company, servicing televisions and appliances. On January 1, 1966, Don and Anne opened Bauer’s TV in Mayville, where they sold and serviced televisions and appliances. In 1968, Don earned the designation of Certified Electronics Technician (CET), a distinction achieved by few technicians. He was a member of the Wisconsin Electronic Service Association (WESA) for over 30 years, where he served as treasurer for many years. In 1972, Don and Anne discontinued selling appliances. At that time, they purchased and added a Radio Shack franchise to Bauer’s TV. Together, they operated Bauer’s TV for 32 years before retiring in October 1997. Don was also a past president of the Mayville Chamber of Commerce.

In the fall of 1998, Don and Anne began serving on the board of the Mayville Limestone School Museum. Don was elected president in 2001 and served in that role for 18 years. He also served on the board of the Wisconsin Council for Local History with the Wisconsin State Historical Society, from 2011 to 2017. As a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mayville, Don served as a trustee for 10 years, from 1998 to 2008. During that time, he also set up and maintained a computer lab for St. Mary’s School.

In his free time, Don was an avid NASCAR fan who never missed watching a race. He was also a devoted Milwaukee Brewers fan and enjoyed watching their games and following their playoff run this season. He will have a better seat for the World Series.

After retirement, Don enjoyed traveling with his family to many states and visiting national parks. He also spent many hours each day working on various computer projects, including maintaining genealogy records. He also had a love of polka music which he specifically requested in his final days.

Survivors include his wife, Anne; his children, John and Judy, both of Mayville; his sister-in-law, Betty Bauer, of LeRoy; and many nieces and nephews, other relatives, and friends.

In addition to his parents, Don was preceded in death by his two sisters, Ruth Ruhland and her husband, Clarence, and Lyra Straub and her husband, Neal; his three brothers, Edgar, Roger and his wife, Elaine, and Felix and his wife, Helen; his parents-in-law, Gilbert and Ruth Lehman; and his brothers-in-law, Paul Lehman and his wife, Pat, and Bill Lehman and his wife, Gloria.

Memorials may be directed to Mayville Limestone School Museum or St. Mary’s Catholic Church.