Eugene Bauer

MATTOON - Eugene C. "Gene" Bauer, age 97, of Mattoon, IL, passed away at his residence at 1:01 a.m., Wednesday, February 15, 2012. The funeral service in his honor will begin at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, February 18, 2012, at Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home, 1200 Wabash Avenue, Mattoon, IL, 61938. Reverend Robert Clark will officiate. Entombment will be in Dodge Grove Mausoleum. Visitation will be held Friday evening, February 17, 2012, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., also at the funeral home. Gene was born on a farm near Strasburg, IL, delivered on a kitchen table by a maternal uncle, Dr. F. W. Schroeder, on September 28, 1914. He weighed in at a respectable 11lbs., 10oz. His parents were Henry A. and Martha (Schroeder) Bauer, both deceased. Survivors include two sons, Dr. Eugene A. Bauer and wife Gloria of San Rafael, CA, and Kim Matthew Bauer and wife Joan of Decatur, IL; one daughter, Pamela Kay Starwalt of Effingham, IL; eight grandchildren, Marc Bauer and wife Kim of San Rafael, CA, Christine Bauer of Los Altos, CA, Michael Bauer of San Rafael, CA, Amanda Bauer of New York, NY, Dirk Bartges and wife Kelly of Trilla, IL; Tanner Starwalt of Effingham, IL, Rachel Bauer of Decatur, IL, and Dylan Bauer of Decatur, IL; seven great-grandchildren, Brooklyn Bartges of Trilla, IL; Emma, Ilsa, and Cara Askren of Los Altos, CA, Hanna and Sophia Bauer of Rohnert Park, CA, and Amelia Bauer of San Rafael, CA. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his older brother, Arthur A. Bauer. A product of one and two room school houses, he was, later in life, to use this learning experience to color his thinking as to the vital need to improve the educational system and became a leading proponent for the consolidation of country and city school systems. A member of the school board of District 100 of the City of Mattoon, at the time when state wide push for the reorganization of our school system began, he alone as one of its members, fought publicly for the change. The concept was overwhelmingly approved by public referendum, whereupon Gene was elected to the newly formed Community Unit District #2 School Board. For approximately seven years, he served continuously as its secretary. A relatively few short years later, the idea of offering extended education to those high school graduates unable to financially pursue a four year (or more) college education with a one or two year vocational education course was brought up for consideration. Gene played a leading role in discussions which resulted in the establishment of community colleges. As a result, we, in Mattoon, can boast of having one of the top community colleges in the state. Having been a product of the greatest depression which America has ever experienced impressed upon Gene the importance of having a job. Consequently, having been appointed by the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce as Director of Economic Development, Gene, with four other members, formed an organization known as "The Mattoon Area Development Corporation." Public donations were collected, land purchased, and utilities extended, with the result that AMPAD became a valued source of jobs. Gene played an important role as Trust Officer of the bank, in making available the farm site for the construction of the manufacturing plant, Blaw-Knox , located on the new four lane highway linking Charleston and Mattoon. This furnished employment for hundreds of workers. When it became rumored the U.S. Postal Service was planning a new post office, supposedly to be built somewhere on the outskirts of Mattoon, Gene took it upon himself to keep the new facility "downtown." He personally solicited funds from property owners and merchants to induce the postal authorities to keep the facility "downtown." And so now, that is where it is! And then came the opportunity to serve on the Coles County Board. He decided to accept an appointment to the board created by a vacancy. This service was to last approximately 22 years. A heart attack brought these years of service to a close, but, not before a number of badly needed improvements took place. The court house underwent major remodeling to gain critically needed additional space. Also, an addition to the jail was built utilizing a federal program which housed out-of-town guests at a cost per day each, and therefore, brought in enough money to pay off the bonds without costing Coles County tax payers one thin dime. As the need for additional space for court house services caused the office of the County Superintendant of Schools to vacate and rent private space at quite high rents, an innovative plan was devised for each participating county to pay a proportionate share of the cost of the building and maintaining a new facility in the city of Charleston. This was done at no additional cost to each county above its required private rental amount, a concept unique to Coles County. The one accomplishment which was a source of personal pride for Gene was the establishment, by the Coles County Board with the cooperation of the City of Mattoon and the City of Charleston, of an industrial development park, now known as "Coles Together." It was a disappointment to him that national industry was in a transitory period where goods and services were being exported to cheaper over-seas labor rather than opening new plants in America. Coles Together brought the people of Mattoon and Charleston, historically at odds with each other, together in the spirit of cooperation for the best interest of all. This alone made it worthwhile. Memorials in his honor may be made to Coles Together or Lincolnland Hospice. Please visit www.mitchell-jerdan.com to light a virtual candle in his honor or share a memory with his family.