James "Jim" Bauer

Jim was born in Loveland, Colorado on October 6, 1939 to Joseph and Lucille Bauer. His parents were farmers until his father unexpectedly passed when Jim was eleven. His mother, brother, Jerry, and sister, Nancy, moved into town while Jim stayed with his aunt and uncle, John and Mary Kness, on their farm east of Loveland. Jim attended elementary school in Johnstown and then Junior and Senior High in Loveland. He was an athletic one – taking state in wrestling as a freshman and setting track records that stood for many years. Due to family financial hardships, he was unable to continue with sports and worked at Garrett Motors throughout high school. After high school, he worked as a barber until Hewlett Packard came to Loveland where he began his career with them before the main plant was even built “on the hill”.

Jim married Melverta "Mel" Fellhauer in 1961. They had two daughters, Lisa and Stacy. They were married for 55 years until Mel’s death in 2016. Jim worked at HP until his retirement in 1994. He had many fond memories of the company and of his accomplishments there – developing several patents and earning the title of Engineer based on those accomplishments.

Jim lived life to the fullest. As a young man, he had many adventures on his Triumph motorcycle and he always had a jeep for 4-wheeling. He loved fixing up cars, could fix anything as a Jack-of-all-trades, and he loved the outdoors. Hunting, fishing, and camping were his favorite activities. After retiring, he took an annual fishing trip to Alaska with a group of buddies. He looked forward to it every year. In time, he began taking his eldest grandson, Trent, with him and they made many wonderful memories.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Clarence Kelley; wife, Mel Bauer; and brother, Jerry Bauer. He is survived by his sister, Nancy Denny; his daughters, Lisa Bratten (Wade) and Stacy Bauer; his grandchildren, Trent Bratten (Lauren), Jace Bratten (Emily), and Seth Bratten (Kristen); and his great grandchildren – Adelyn, Emery, Bowen, Carson, and Brody.

The family would like to invite those that knew Jim to a celebration of Jim's life on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 11am at Resthaven Funeral Home in Fort Collins. A gathering of family & friends will follow. Please join Jim's family for a time of fellowship & remembrance, and a little lunch.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jim's name can be made to The House of Neighborly Service or Meals on Wheels. Fond memories of Jim and words of condolence for his family are welcome at resthavencolorado.com.