Sun Cha Bauer

Sun Bauer (69), wife of Gene Bauer, of Kempner, Texas passed away 22 May 2024 at home after a long illness. Sun was a good Christian woman and a Deacon in her church. She was born on 11 Nov 1954, during the post-combat phase of the Korean War, in the small village of Taein, South Korea. She grew up in a small mud hut with a rice straw thatched roof. Hunger and suffering were widespread in the area; contributing to the death of two of her older siblings while they were young children and the death of her father when she was a teenager.

Her fondest and most painful memory of her father was when she was very young. The family was often starving, going without food for days. Her father worked the rice fields. It is a common practice in Korea for the employer to provide lunch to the workers. She would go to the rice paddies and wait on the berm watching her father’s toiling in the rice paddy. When it was lunchtime, her father would get his bowl of rice for lunch and bring it to her, with his arm around her, she would eat his lunch. Later she would become a worker too and earn her own lunch.

Learning from a young age the harsh, often cruel, realities of life, she knew hard work, determination, and perseverance were essential for survival. She came to the US when she was 22; speaking very little English. She got a green card, studied, learned English at night classes and watching TV (especially ‘I Love Lucy’), got a job, and began living her American dream. She was especially proud of becoming an American citizen. Whenever asked her nationality she would proclaim very emphatically “I’m an American!” She worked in several different factory jobs as a seamstress for Levi’s, a wood stove manufacturer, and for SCI Technology making circuit boards for a wide variety of electronic equipment. She managed the family budget and made it possible to buy a home and live the way she always dreamed of.

She met her husband in Huntsville, Alabama. After her husband retired from the Army, they searched for the home they’d spend the rest of their lives in. After searching for two years, they found the perfect home in Kempner, Texas. She began making it her dream home. She loved working in the yard and loved gardening. She worked hard. They decided to spread crushed rock in parts of the yard. The dump trucks would arrive during the week, timed so that her husband could spread it on the weekends. She couldn’t just wait until the weekend. Seeing work that needed to be done, she started spreading tons of rock with a shovel while her husband was at work. Later her husband went to a nearby stone yard to get some stones to edge the crushed rock. He asked if they delivered the stones, telling them he lived just down the road at the house with the crushed rock in the front yard. One of the truck drivers, who’d passed by with his loads several times, commented “That’s you? Man, your wife is a hard-working woman”. This epitomized her character. Whenever a guest would be coming to the house, she took three days to prepare. The first day was mowing and manicuring the yard, which she enjoyed doing. The next day was spent cleaning the inside of the home, which was never dirty in the first place. The third day was spent cooking and preparing a variety of Korean foods. Once all this was done, then she was ready to entertain. She grew a large variety of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. She enjoyed sharing her plants with friends and neighbors, teaching them how to care for each one.

Known for speaking her mind, bluntly and directly, she tried to share her experiences and warn others so they would not suffer the fates she’d seen in her youth. She was very frugal and it would surprise some to know that she was also very generous. When workers were hired to do a job at the house, she drove a hard bargain. Always looking for a discount. Sometimes she’d get it, sometimes she wouldn’t, but when the work was done to her satisfaction (which was a high bar) she’d not only pay the original asking price (foregoing the discount) but also tipped each of the workers with instructions to take their wives or girlfriends out to dinner.

She was always generous and charitable to those who were working hard to improve themselves. When engaging a waitress or waiter in conversation, those who were working and going to college always got a generous tip. Her favorite charity was Kiva, a microloan organization where she could pick the people from around the world that she’d help. Women in agriculture were the ones she selected most. Over the years she helped over 50 people in more than 20 countries.

Through hard work, determination, and faith, she was able to live the last third of her life the way she always dreamed of and was always thankful to God for the blessings he bestowed, answering her prayers.

Sun was preceded in death by her parents, four siblings, and two stepdaughters. She is survived by her husband, a daughter, a son, a stepdaughter, a stepson, and seven grandchildren. A visitation will be held at Crawford Bowers Funeral Home in Copperas Cove, Texas on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 5:00 pm followed by Funeral Services at 6:00 pm. For those wishing to send flowers, she had no particular favorite but she loved colorful arrangements. For those who wish to send plants, they will be placed in her flower gardens.