Leona Bauer

There are many who are blessed to be mothers, but there are few who make being a mother their greatest mission in life. Leona Bauer was one such woman as she was always striving to provide her children with what they needed, yet at the same time she gave them the strength, and training they needed to become the best they could be as individuals. Leona was a classy lady with the strength and independent assurance to gracefully handle whatever came her way. She found being a grandmother to be a true gift and it will be her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who will carry on the legacy of unconditional love, selflessness, and devotion she put forth by the way she lived her life each and every day.

The year 1918 was a year to remember in our nation’s history as it was during this year that we emerged from WWI as a world leader, the flu pandemic reached a peak of 202 deaths daily, and we experienced the first observance of daylight saving time. This was a year of great significance in the family of Peter and Anna (Goerge) Weber for a much different reason since on July 26th they welcomed the birth of their daughter, Leona. Leona was born in Fowler, Michigan, as the third of seven children in her family, and the Webers spoke both broken English and German around the home. Throughout the entire decade of the 1930s, our nation was firmly gripped by the Great Depression, which left countless American families doing whatever they could to make ends meet. Leona felt the effects of this struggle in many ways including having to wear her brother’s shoes to school. This experience shaped Leona into a thrifty and resourceful woman, however, which would prove to be useful skills throughout her life.

It was as a young woman that Leona met the man with whom she would write an eloquent love story. His name was Harold Bauer, and they met at a wedding dance. Although there were actually three young suitors that evening who were looking to take Leona home, she and her friends deemed Harold the cutest so he was the one they chose. After that fateful evening, the couple dated for the following three years before marrying on May 1, 1940, in Fowler.

The newlyweds initially lived at the homestead where they welcomed three of their seven children. Harold farmed and worked other odd jobs in order to support their family. They later bought a farm on Krepps Road in St. Johns, although their family said they were crazy to buy a farm while WWII was going on. Leona embraced her role as a mother and was always encouraging her children to improve themselves. She was proud of her children, but rarely told them so for fear of giving them a “big head.” Any failure on the part of her children Leona took as a failure on her part, and she never stopped trying to make them better.

In many ways, Leona’s thriftiness was an important part to the Bauer household running smoothly. She did a myriad of jobs over the years from raising chickens so she could sell their eggs, to sewing her children’s clothes, to tending to a large garden. In fact, Leona loved to garden and her extensive garden supplied all of their food except for the typical “staple” items. Leona canned hundreds of jars of applesauce, chili sauce, and homemade ketchup that she always watered down to make it stretch farther. She was a whiz in the kitchen, too, preparing mouth-watering meals for her family. Even though she was thrifty when it came to feeding her family, Leona was known to buy and hide snacks in her dresser drawers that were reserved both for friends and for her card parties. In 1967, their large dairy barn with all their cows inside blew down in a windstorm, but thankfully many of the cows were rescued after being pulled out with ropes. In many ways, Leona made running every aspect of their home seem effortless while Harold held down two jobs. Since faith was an important part of Leona’s life, she made sure that her children attended Catholic schools.

Later in life, much of Leona’s focus remained on her family. When Harold retired from Sealed Power, she was glad to have him home. The couple enjoyed traveling, often with the Farm Bureau groups. Their extensive travels took them to destinations such as South and Central America, Europe, and throughout the United States and Canada. Leona was thrilled to be a grandmother and it could be argued that she and Harold may have been closer to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren than they were to their own children. Many precious memories were made with their family at Crystal Lake, and she never stopped trying to make sure that all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were raised in the church. Leona was deeply saddened with the death of Harold in October of 1997, but she gained strength from both her faith and her family during the days that followed.

When she was able, Leona often spent her time doing different things she enjoyed. She loved sitting in the kitchen with her feet up doing needlework, and praying at night was part of her daily ritual. Leona was a member of both St. Joseph Catholic Church and St. Sylvia Guild. She selflessly gave of her time as a volunteer for Hazel I. Findlay Country Manor and Clinton Memorial Hospital.

Some will remember Leona Bauer as a tough opponent in euchre or a notorious back seat driver, but all who knew her will remember her as a strong and independent woman with high goals and standards. She was also a woman of faith who prayed every night and a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who was the glue that held her family together. Leona was an extraordinary woman who lived an extraordinary life, leaving behind a colorful tapestry of memories that will be forever cherished.

Leona A. Bauer died April 26, 2010. Leona’s family includes her four daughters, Diane Daher of Lansing, Dolores Phinney of St. Johns, Dorene Bauer of Laingsburg, and Debra (Cary) Rappuhn of Potterville; three sons, Dennis (Norma) Bauer and Dale (Sandi) Bauer of St. Johns, and Dane (Jeri) Bauer of Bloomingdale, Illinois; sixteen grandchildren; nine great grandchildren; and one sister in law, Marie Weber. Leona was preceded in death by her husband, Harold; one grandson, Baby Bauer; one great-grandson, Christopher Post; and siblings, Norman Weber, Harold Weber, Angela Thelen, Melvin Weber, Urban Weber, and Raymond Weber. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, April 29, 2010, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, burial in Mt. Rest Cemetery with Rev. Fr. Eoin Murphy officiating. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, 6-8 p.m., and on Wednesday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m., at the Osgood Funeral Home with a Rosary being prayed Tuesday at 7 p.m., and on Wednesday, a Rosary at 3 p.m., and a Vigil Service at 7 p.m. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory or make a memorial contribution to St. Joseph’s Education Fund or Hazel I. Findlay Country Manor.