Donald Michael Bauer

Donald M. Bauer of Imperial, Missouri passed away on Thursday, October 16, 2014 at the age of 82. Beloved husband for 58 years of Elizabeth A. Bauer (nee Wilsie). Loving father of Lisa Bauer and Kurt Bauer, along with his wife, Kate O'Sullivan. Dearest grandfather of Jordan Bauer and Olivia Bauer.

Don was an independent insurance agent, outdoorsman, craftsman and proud Air Force veteran. He attended Holy Family Catholic School and CBC High School, both in St. Louis. In 1951, he enlisted in the Air Force and married Elizabeth in 1956.

Don was a charismatic community leader and spent 15 years on the Windsor C-1 School District Board of Directors. He was enthusiastic in his role as President of the Windsor Parent Teacher Association. During his tenure he established a range of fundraising programs that provided much needed supplemental funding for students, teachers, classrooms and special projects. His initiatives included establishing a scholarship fund and the much-anticipated monthly Chicken Frys.

Visitation to be held on Sunday, October 19, 2014 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Heiligtag-Lang-Fendler Funeral Home, 1081 Jeffco Blvd., Arnold, MO. Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, October 20, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 6020 Old Antonia Road, Imperial, MO. Interment Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, October 30, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. Friends and family should gather at the Administration Building at 12:45 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, should friends desire, you might honor Don’s love of the outdoors through contributions in his name to the Conservation Heritage Foundation, C/O Missouri Department of Conservation, 2360 Highway D, St. Charles, MO 63304 - http://missouriconservationheritagefoundation.org.

Condolences may be offered at www.heiligtagfuneralhome.com.

For those who were not able to attend visitation, here are the heartfelt words shared by Karen Martin:

Good afternoon,

We are here today to honor Don Bauer, a husband of 58 years this past August, proud father to Kurt and Lisa, father-in-law to Kate, and grandfather to Olivia and Jordan, and a dear friend to innumerable people.

I feel blessed to have known, first Don and then Liz, for the past dozen years. I got to know them by being the proverbial nosy neighbor who wanted to see what they were doing in the back yard when they put in their fountain and beautiful landscaping. And, in his usual fashion, Don struck up a conversation with me as if we were not perfect strangers but old friends. And then, as he always did when he made friends, he introduced me to Liz.

For wherever Don was, so was Liz. They were a dynamic duo; and I became even more aware of this fact when Liz and I started walking at 6:30am in the mornings at Windsor’s track for the past several years. We covered many miles with our legs and equally as many with our lips Our early morning conversations and the many meals I shared with the two of them gave me an insight into how much of a team that they were.

The Bible says that a husband and wife should be equally yoked. Well, Don and Liz certainly were that. I have never seen a couple who were so multi-talented and had so many common interests. Don played piano and the organ which won him a scholarship to CBC. He later learned flute and piccolo for the marching band. Liz played clarinet and piano. Don was an amazing woodworker, made beautiful furniture, and did all of the beautiful wood finish work in their home. Liz is a very accomplished seamstress, can crochet, and knit beautiful things. It seems whatever the two of them put their hands to it was of the finest quality.

Don was a Russian linguist in the Air Force during the Korean War. That in itself is quite an accomplishment, and showed his level of intelligence. In fact, on more than one occasion, Liz told me that she never knew anyone more intelligent than Don especially in his younger years. And Don always said that the smartest thing he ever did was marry Liz. And he raved about what a beautiful woman she was and is.

The two of them met while they were attending Washington University. Don was going there on the G.I. bill and Liz had a full scholarship having come from Denver, Colorado where she grew up. When Don first met Liz, she was dating his best friend. Don never tired of telling me and anyone else who first met them about how he told his friend – “If things do not work out with you and Liz, then I surely would like to ask her out”. Which was a gentlemanly thing to do. Well, as you can imagine, his friend let him know that although she was a terrific gal, Liz was not the one for him.

Don promptly asked Liz out and their first date was in October 1955 when Liz’s parents were visiting from Denver, Colorado. Most people do not have their parents as chaperones on their first date, but that was how anxious Don was to spend time with Liz. Going out with them along was just fine with him. Liz obviously was quite taken with Don herself and on August 17, 1956, less than a year after their first date, she decided to trade in her B.S. degree for a MRS. Degree.

Don was an only child and his parents were quite devoted to him. He always said that his dad was his best friend and his mother thought he could do no wrong. He and his dad enjoyed hunting and fishing together and many other activities. So when his parents were not totally accepting of Liz and he became aware of it, and that they were hurting Liz’s feelings, greatly, he went to them and told them that if they did not fully accept Liz then he would not be coming over himself. That conversation showed his full devotion right there that he would take that step with him having been so close to his parents.

For a year or more, the stubborn German side won out and they did not see their only child. But Liz, always the peacemaker, told Don that they needed to go visit them and they should see the grandchildren. They went to visit and things were better because they now realized that Liz was number one in Don’s life.

Don had the opportunity to acquire his uncle’s insurance agency so he and Liz jumped into that together with Don as the agent and Liz running the office, while chasing after Kurt and Lisa. The early years were very hard years, financially, for them, and that kind of strain might have pulled a couple apart. However, they pulled together and made a go of it. One of the things that provided them with great joy and helped ease the strain of starting a business is that Liz coaxed Don into going to a square dancing event. She knew that if Don, with his love of people and music, went one time he would be hooked and, of course, she was right. They enjoyed many happy years of square dancing together. Liz, being the fantastic seamstress that she is, made herself many gorgeous dresses and they were quite the couple on the dance floor.

When the insurance agency began to be profitable, Liz decided that they could afford to hire someone else and she really would like to get her degree in teaching, and she went to UMSL at night. Don was always proud of her for doing that.

Another way that they were a team is when Liz got involved in the PTA and she knew that Don’s ability to draw people together would be an asset. She went home one evening and told him that he had been elected President of the PTA. Well, once again, they threw themselves into things as a team. They decided that having fried chicken dinners would be just the thing to raise funds for the school. Don got donations, and such, and Liz spent countless hours organizing and manning a phone chain to get women to bring cakes, side dishes, etc. The chicken dinners were a huge success and raised quite a bit of money for the school.

The PTA led Don to become a member of the Windsor School board where he served for 15 years. In the mornings, Don, being the social person that he was, liked to stop in and have coffee with the women who ran the school cafeteria, Betty Morrow (one of my dearest friends), Laura Preis, Eva Pippin and Mary Clippard. They called themselves “The Rebels” and were a hoot to be around. So, no wonder he made that part of his daily routine. With that kind of parental involvement and constant presence around the school grounds, Lisa told me that she and Kurt did not dare do anything to get in trouble because it would certainly get back to Don and Liz in no time at all.

Family was key to Don and Liz and they both cared for their respective spouse’s parents as they grew older. Liz always talked about how Don took a ramshackle of a place and turned it into an absolute doll house for her parents. Don, like so many men of his generation, may have not been the “touchy-feely” type, but showed his love and affection by being a doer for those he cared about.

Don and Liz loved to share watching sports together, first when they went to watch Kurt, their son, who was a first class athlete, and then in later years, they were devoted fans of the Cardinals and Mizzou football, and the like. Don was so proud of Kurt’s accomplishments as an athlete and successful international businessman, and very proud of Lisa’s talent in designing one of a kind incredible jewelry, and starting her own business. They say that entrepreneurship runs in families; and that is certainly the case with Kurt and Lisa following in their parents’ footsteps as independent business people.

One of life’s biggest disappointments was that Don’s many illnesses and surgeries kept Don and Liz from traveling to California to spend more time with Olivia and Jordan. But prouder grandparents than they, you would not find. And that leads me into something that cannot be ignored. All his life, Don, struggled with ill health. In fact, in one of our first conversations we discussed that we both had fibromyalgia and the chronic pain that it brings each day. Don thought he had it from about age 11, and most of you know the many surgeries and numerous accidents that he endured with his pain level becoming greater and greater.

But, if we allow God to use us, he will take our hurts and let us minister to others. Many of us knew Don as the fun loving person, but there was another side to Don. Our neighbor, Burney’s husband, Jerry, suffered with cancer over a five year period, and passed away several years ago. Burney said that Don was a huge comfort to Jerry as he was a frequent and devoted visitor who would talk “man things” to Jerry and take his mind off the cancer. But, he also shared some of his suffering and how he got through it. Burney said that showed her the very soft and caring side of Don that others may not have seen.

Because of his longstanding chronic pain, it really is a testament to Don and his persistence and determination that he did as many things in the community, and for others, as he did. I was absolutely amazed one day, a couple of years ago, to see him lying on the floor refinishing their parquet wood floors. Or the day neighbors drove by and saw him lying in the grass and thought he had fallen and was hurt. But, he was actually out there pulling weeds. His back may have given out but his determination to achieve something worthwhile that day had not.

Don was an expert marksman and won many a meat shoot bringing home so much that one winter, not long ago, he and Liz had to buy two freezers to hold it all! One of the funniest stories about Don is that as he became more physically disabled, he did not give up his shooting ability and used to sit in the back bedroom of their house and lean his rifle out the window and shoot squirrels. At one point I think they had about 30 squirrels in the freezer. Liz would cook up those squirrels for him and as he said – “Liz makes the best squirrel gravy ever!"

I need to share one more story about Don and Liz which was fairly recent. A couple of years ago, they decided to grow a garden. And, like everything else, they did it first class. They soon had more tomatoes than they knew what to do with. So, at age 78 and 80, they signed up and attended a Missouri extension course on canning. And that summer, they canned and canned and canned - peaches, beets, tomatoes, etc. When they still had lots of tomatoes off they went to another Missouri extension class on how to make salsa, which, of course, turned out delicious. The jist of this story was that Don and Liz have been lifelong learners, and they attacked everything they did together with great gusto.

Don loved people from all walks of life, he loved to joke with them, and was a devoted friend. Don especially enjoyed young people and had a great relationship with Stephen Yocum, Chad, Johnny, Mike Pippin, and so many others. If I left any names out, please forgive me, but you know who you are. Don and Liz became especially close to our neighbor’s son Gabe who started doing odd jobs and yard work for them when he was 12 years old. Gabe spent a lot of time working and talking with Don and said he learned so much from Don - that he was a wealth of information. Gabe came to hold a very special and unique spot in Don’s heart. During these last few months, Gabe and his parents, Bob and Helen, have been especially devoted to visiting with and praying with and for Don.

I know that each of you has your own special memories of Don. Thank you for letting me share these thoughts about someone that we all knew and loved.