Interment with Full Military Honors:

Cabool Cemetery

Memorials:

In lieu of flowers the family asks for contributions to the Ronald & Margaret Bauer Memorial Scholarship Fund

Obituary:

Ronald Valentine Bauer was born on January 17, 1933 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois to Valentine and Charlotte (Neubauer) Bauer.  He passed away on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 in his home after a short illness at the age of 87.

On June 24, 1961, he was united in marriage to Margaret Ann (McMahan), his 'Bride' of 42 years.  In this union, he and Margaret had two children; daughter, Lesa Bauer, and son, Kenneth Bauer

Ronald's parents and grandparents made the decision to move to a farm south of Cabool on highway181 where Ronald was able to take up hunting and became and avid outdoorsman, as well as worked on the family farm.

During his time in high school, he also started working at the Producer's Creamery (currently DFA).  Upon graduating high school with the Cabool class of 1952, he transferred jobs to work at the Producer's Creamery in Springfield so he could take college classes and further his education.  However, there was a lay-off at the Creamery that fall, so he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a hospital corpsman from 1952 – 1956 primarily with the ship, the USS Shangri La.

Upon completing his service and returning to civilian life with an honorable discharge, Ronald moved back to the Cabool area and resumed working for Producer's Creamery, which upon retirement from DFA, totaled 49 years.

Ronald had many hobbies that included hunting and fishing, gardening, wood-working, working with the youth at church – no one will ever forget the 'Old Gray Squirrel' who drove the pickup full of luggage through Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and other places.  He also loved to travel for vacation when time permitted.  He was passionate about donating blood through the blood mobiles and providing nursing/healthcare scholarships in Margaret's memory and honor, and loved each student as well as followed up with them upon the completion of receiving their degrees.

Ronald was preceded in death by his parents; his Bride, Margaret (McMahan) Bauer and infant brother, Richard Bauer.  He is survived by his daughter, Lesa Bauer of Manchester, MO; his son, Kenneth and wife, Kathy (Whitmire) Bauer of West Plains, MO and granddaughter; Valerie (Bauer) Matheson and husband, Andrew of St. Charles, MO; his siblings, Vivian Oaks of Cabool, Joyce Bair of Cabool, Doris Hines of Springfield, MO, Wilma Bauer of Cabool, Ralph Bauer and wife, Cathy of Hawthorne, FL, Randy Bauer and wife, Alice of Cabool, Robert "Bobby" Bauer and wife, Marina of Escondido, CA and Cathy Bauer of Cabool.  He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews, as well as became a 3X great uncle earlier this spring to a beautiful baby boy in the Republic, MO area.

His kindness, big grin and mischievous spirit are going to be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.