Mike Mathieu

James Michael John (Mike) Mathieu, formerly of Eagle Grove, died peacefully at home on January 15, 2024. Mike had relocated to the Minneapolis St. Paul area and had resided for many years at The Villa (retirement home) in St. Louis Park, MN.

Mike was the son of Robert and Catherine Mathieu and was born in Chicago on Sept 3, 1937. The family returned to Iowa in the 1940’s moving first to Fort Dodge, Iowa and then settling (in the Mathieu Family hometown) Eagle Grove, Iowa in 1946. Mike graduated from Eagle Grove HS in 1955 and then served in the Navy before coming back home to attend EG Junior College.

Mike loved people – family and friends. Mike was a natural entertainer and loved clowning around, he was a skilled juggler, and built several unicycles that he road around town. He was always involved with music, playing in the HS band, and playing piano at home. He appreciated Modern Jazz as well as contemporary musical styles. Playing his harmonica, he appeared several times on TV station KVFD’s Barn Dance, a Country Western music program broadcast in the early 60’s.

In adult life, Mike faced many challenges and setbacks but kept working and made many friends. He was a resident of St. Paul MN in his adult years and through good times and bad times, Mike profited from the friendship and special support from his Minnesota cousins, especially Stephen and Suzi (Mathieu) Stedman, and Leo and Susan (Stedman) Anderson.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents Robert and Catherine of Eagle Grove, and his brother Gregory of Iowa City, IA, and his wife Janice of Waterloo, IA., and three of their children, Sebastian, Abigail and Jared.

And is survived by four siblings: Robert Mathieu of Des Moines, IA; Catherine Chebuhar of Colorado Springs, CO; Marc Mathieu of Los Angeles, CA; Harlan Mathieu of Queens, NY.

Mike is also survived by his four children Melanie Campbell of Waterloo, IA, Sebastian Brown of Denver, CO, Elisha Mathieu of Huntingburg, IN, and Isaac Mathieu of Minneapolis MN., and four grandchildren: Abigail’s son, Robert Winston of Fargo North Dakota, and Elisha’s sons Tristan, Brendan and Devin Mathieu of Huntingburg, IN.