10/29/2026
The Mayville Limestone School Museum family and the Mayville community mourn the loss of our long-time Board President, mentor, and dear friend, Don Bauer. 🕊️🏛️
Since taking the helm in 1998, Don was the driving force behind turning our 1857 limestone building into a thriving cultural landmark. Side by side with his wife, Anne, Don poured decades of passion into preserving Mayville’s heritage.
Think back over the decades and the sheer volume of love, labor, and leadership they provided:
🏛️ Preserving the Landmark: They spearheaded major maintenance projects to keep our museum standing strong—replacing the roof, repairing the historic limestone masonry, installing new windows, and even rebuilding the cupola twice!
💻 Bringing Us into the Modern Era: Don brought our preservation efforts into the 21st century by launching our digital archiving using PastPerfect software and creating our first website.
🖼️ Exhibits & Programming: They continuously brought history to life by creating new exhibits, planning educational programs, and organizing volunteer schedules.
🎉 Community Milestones: In 2007, they led the town in celebrating the building’s 150th anniversary.
🕯️ Holiday Traditions: Every Christmas, they made sure the museum shone bright for Mayville by placing candles in the windows and festive decorations along the cupola railing.
The endless hours Don and Anne poured into this museum have truly been a magnificent labor of love for Mayville's history. ❤️
On behalf of every volunteer, every board member, and everyone in our town: thank you, Don. You have made sure the stories, memories, and treasures of our past are preserved safely for generations to come.
Our deepest thoughts, love, and prayers are with Anne and the entire Bauer family.
