John A. Bauer

1942 - 2025

John A. Bauer

June 13, 1942 - September 18, 2025

John Anthony Bauer died on September 18. John is survived by his wife Alice; three children, Chris, Sarah, and Matt; eight grandchildren, Victoria, Veronica, Esther, Gavin, Tash, Nora, Alex, and Nick; his sister, Carol; and a brother, Robert.

John was born on June 13, 1942, in Lima, Wisconsin, where he was raised on a dairy farm by his parents, Emil and Lucy Bauer, along with his four sisters and six older brothers. John had fond memories of life on the family farm, growing up in a drafty three-bedroom farmhouse. He often recalled helping his dad mend cow pasture fences in the spring and a particularly memorable time when he and his brothers got into trouble. While their parents were away, they grew hungry, and rather than going to the grocery store like typical teenagers, they butchered a cow and feasted like kings-only to face their parents' ire when they returned. One of his favorite stories was about waking up one morning to find honey dripping on his face from a beehive that had split open above his bed.

John left his schooling in ninth grade, thinking that he would be better off working on his family farm rather than studying. Eventually, John decided life on his parents' farm wasn't going to help him earn a living. He briefly worked at a horseradish factory. Then, through a friend, John took a job at National Presto Industries in Eau Claire. The company had a defense segment that made artillery shells, and John worked on the line that forged the shells. The forges took a red hot billet of steel, and, with a few strokes, hammered it into a hollow 105 mm shell. It was loud, hot work, but it paid well, and John and his coworkers found ways to make it enjoyable. On occasion, they would sear steaks on the scorching forges for a hearty lunch-or, depending on John's shift, a midnight snack.

A work friend set John up on a blind date with his future wife, Alice, and they immediately hit it off. John and Alice went on dates to movies, hamburger stands, and dance halls, often at the Moose Club in Rice Lake. Soon, John decided to ask Alice's parents for her hand in marriage. In what has since become a piece of family lore, John brought along two fresh muskmelons from his parents' garden as a kind of marriage offering. Alice's father, however, sternly told him, "You can marry Alice, but you can keep the muskmelon." In 1971, John married Alice Hegenbarth at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Rice Lake.

When Presto shifted its focus from producing artillery shells back to pressure cookers and other kitchen appliances, John was offered a new role as a shipping clerk and forklift driver. Though it paid less than his job on the forge, it was cleaner, had regular hours, and-most importantly-Alice encouraged him to take it. He accepted the position and settled into a steady routine: every morning at 7:30, he drove to work with polka music blasting from WCFW radio in Chippewa Falls. At 4:30, he clocked out and headed home, always arriving in time for dinner at 5:00.

After being passed over for a promotion that he thought was due to his lack of education, and again on Alice's encouragement, John attended night school at Chippewa Valley Community College and got his GED, in 1982.

John and Alice had three children: Chris (1974), Sarah (1975), and Matt (1978). When their children were young, the family spent many summers camping in Chequamegon National Forest, Brunet Island State Park, and various state parks along the north coast of Lake Superior. John loved fishing, hiking, and building campfires on these trips, often joined by extended family. At home, he was a reluctant gardener but enjoyed attempting to grow watermelon and muskmelon. On occasion, he managed to produce a bounty of ripe melons-much to his delight.

In the winter, John would go ice-fishing or join his kids for sledding on a nearby hill. Each December, through a work contact, John would order hundreds of pounds of walnuts from a farm in Oregon. After dinner on weeknights, he and his family would crack the nuts with pliers and nutcrackers, keeping some of the shelled walnuts for themselves and giving the rest to family and friends for Christmas baking.

John's children, Sarah and Matt, went to college, paid for by grants through the Presto Foundation, a non-profit associated with John's employer - a source of great pride for John.

John retired from Presto in 2002, having worked there for 35 years. For many years in his retirement, John rode bikes with Alice on trails along the Chippewa River, or they walked a path in the woods on their property. John would string up lights and lanterns on the path, so he and Alice could continue their walks during the darker months.

More than anything, John was happiest when playing cards. He enjoyed games like cribbage, pinochle, euchre, 500 rummy, and a game called "hand and foot," which required nearly a dozen decks of cards. He usually played with Alice in the afternoons and also loved playing with his extended family. John seemed to have a special, almost supernatural luck when it came to getting good cards. If one player had an ace, he somehow had two. If another player had two wild cards, he inexplicably had three. And when it was time to lay down his hand, he would slam his cards on the table with such a bang that everyone within a square mile knew that John Bauer had a winning hand.

In his later years, with his health deteriorating, he still enjoyed cards, but he more often found himself watching old westerns and reruns of Judge Judy. John struggled most of his life with diabetes. He would at times seem to have the disease under his control, but more often than not, it caused him suffering. John spent his final months at Grace Lutheran Communities in Altoona, where he received gentle and expert care from the dedicated nursing staff. His family is deeply grateful for their compassion and support.

On May 22, John and Alice celebrated 54 years of marriage.

Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 12 pm (noon) on Monday September 22, 2025 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1812 Lynn Avenue, Altoona, WI 54720 with Father Greg Bohren officiating. Visitation will take place at the church from 10:30 am until the time of service. Entombment will be in the Chapel of the Resurrection Mausoleum at the Calvary Cemetery in Eau Claire.

Friends and family may offer condolences online at www.hulkefamilyfh.com. Hulke Family Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 3209 Rudolph Road, Eau Claire, WI 54701 is assisting the family with the arrangements.