LeAnn Buening, 70 of Teutopolis, passed away at 7:43pm on July 31, 2026 at home surrounded by the love of her family.

A memorial mass will be held at 11:30 am on Thursday, August 6th, 2026 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Teutopolis. A visitation for family and friends will be held from 9:00 am to 11:00 am prior to the funeral mass at Bauer Funeral home in Effingham. A prayer service will be held at 9:30 a.m. during the visitation. Memorials donations may be given to the Whoo Hoo Sisterhood (aka The Jolene Arend Giving Fund).

LeAnn was born on December 25, 1955, (she was a Christmas baby) in Effingham, the daughter of Henry and Norma (Wessel) Hawickhorst. On September 14, 19 74, she married the love of her life, Mike Buening. Together they shared 51 years of marriage. LeAnn’s greatest joy came from being with those she loved. Her family meant everything to her. She was their biggest fan!

LeAnn loved to travel; especially to Hawaii. She has passed this love of travel on to her kids and grandkids. She loved spending her days with her husband. She liked to watch the St Louis Cardinals, plant flowers, have coffee or lunch with friends, having a lunch group with her grandkids in the summer, running around town with her sister (the more places they could go the better), sitting on her front porch, taking golf cart rides, and reading a good book.

LeAnn is survived by her husband of 51 years, Mike Buening; two children, daughter, Kelly (Woody) Heuerman and son, Michael (Jamie) Buening, seven grandchildren; Sophia Heuerman, Owen Heuerman, Isabella Heuerman, Landyn Buening, Gavin Buening, Elliot Heuerman, and Paxton Buening, her sister; Marla Bushur, her brother Bryan (Inez) Hawickhorst, sister-in-law, Kay (Larry) Vahling, brothers-in-law, Steve Buening and Jim Althoff.

Waiting for her in heaven were her parents Hank and Norma Hawickhorst; her brother, Alan Hawickhorst; mother and father-in-law, Norbert and Virginia Buening, and sister-in-law, Jane Althoff.