Michael E. Hays

Funeral services celebrating the life of Michael Hays, 55, of Eldridge, will be held at 10:30am on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at Calvary Church of the Quad Cities, 4700 – 53^rd St, Moline, IL. Burial will be held privately in Mt. Union Cemetery, McCausland, IA. Visitation will be from 5-7pm Monday, May 20th at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport.  In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Wells for Wellness @www.Wells4Wellness.com.

Mr. Hays went to be with Jesus on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

Michael Earl Hays was born December 15, 1968, in Marshalltown, IA, a son of Allen and Judith (Wiebers) Hays. 

When he was just a toddler, his parents recognized he had musical ability. He took guitar lessons from the locally famous Artis Luthe while in elementary school and mastered playing the guitar. He loved to play Wipeout and other 'licks' on his electric guitar at school events and at home. He and his friends formed a band and enjoyed jamming together. Mike and his brother along with the neighbor boys, loved riding their motorbikes in fields and through the ditches. He loved to work on cars and anything mechanical. He played basketball in junior high and high school. He had many good times with his cousins skiing in Colorado, camping at the lake, and jumping in the corn husk piles on his grandpa's farm. His sister Marci remembers a special trip she and Mike took together as young adults to the Smoky Mountains, taking in a helicopter ride. On this fun trip they got to know each other as friends; their first trip together without the parents.

He graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1987 and earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Middle Tennessee State University in 1991.

Mike was united in marriage to his bride Ruth Nelson on November 23, 1996, whom he cherished. Together they strove to build a home centered on Christ. They raised and nurtured their three children, their sons Aaron and Isaac and their beautiful daughter Rachel. Mike was devoted to them. He always put his family first. He planned for their futures, actively envisioning what could be. He was a good provider. His mind was always calculating possibilities. He saw gifts and abilities in his children and encouraged them to go further. He was a loving husband and father. He considered his family his greatest achievement.

He loved his parents, his brother and sister, and his nieces and nephews.

Mike loved Jesus and sought to live his life honoring Him. 

He started and built up his own construction company, Midwest Building Services, Inc., because he loved working with his hands, building new things, and using his creativity to fix things. Because of this, he could be seen frequenting Menards about six days a week; cashing in on that 11% rebate! He loved the work and felt blessed that it also supported his family. He was a self-starter, an entrepreneur, and was dedicated to provide quality handicapped accessible spaces for his clients. He was a man of integrity. He was selfless, creative and honest. He cared about his customers and their satisfaction. 

Mike loved his dogs Allie, Cody and Buddy. He enjoyed watching football. His Dad took him to many Iowa State football and basketball games as a kid; so the Cyclones became his team! He also enjoyed attending and cheering on the Lancers at the North Scott High School sporting events. 

The "Hays family quiz" became a tradition at Christmas time. He would collect funny happenings and trivia from the wife and kids throughout the year and turn it into a fun quiz. Whoever could answer the most questions correctly would win the famous 3-ft chocolate bunny! He also enjoyed hosting an annual Hays/Holst Corn Boil along with his friend Kevin -- preparing contests for the kids and serving all-you-can-eat sweetcorn!

He had a great sense of humor, and tried to make the family and others laugh and have fun by his dry delivery with a touch of sarcasm!

Mike enjoyed restoring motorcycles (especially from the late 60's and early 70s), playing the guitar, and taking family trips to the U.P. to Ruth’s family’s cabin where they enjoyed the lake – fishing, swimming, boating, relaxing and family time. He especially took pleasure in gathering the family to go get wood! After cutting down a tree; the family would drag the brush away; cut up the wood; split the wood; stack the wood in the truck; unload the truck; and restack the wood in the shed -- amongst the groans of his kids. As a boy, he remembers praying his Dad's chainsaw wouldn't start. Now he's the one holding the chainsaw -- and Stihl chainsaws always start!

He is deeply missed.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife Ruth; sons Aaron (Krystal) Hays of Davenport, Isaac Hays of Eldridge; daughter Rachel Hays of Eldridge; parents Allen and Judith Hays of Marshalltown; brother Mark (Cindy) Hays of Winterset, IA; and sister Marci (Chad) Curtis of Cedar Rapids.

Online remembrances may be expressed at www.hmdfuneralhome.com.