Roberta Lynn Bauer (age 64) passed away on September 28, 2021, while at her home in Chetek, Wisconsin. She was born on November 29th, 1956, to Robert and Edith Miller in Elk Mound, Wisconsin.
At the age of 19 she met the love of her life - Alphonse Bauer Jr. While we humbly submit us kids were not present, we have heard rumors that sparks flew.
The earth shook and the world stopped, just for that day. The unshakable Al Bauer was caught - hook, line, and sinker - by Roberta. Her life changed forever. The two became one. The rest is history.
Al married Roberta on October 23, 1981.
Al & Roberta enjoyed the simple life. The family life. Their lifetime achievement was building the home of their dreams on Crescent Avenue - where they could hunt, tend to their gardens, cut wood all winter, and feed their birds. You could find Roberta and Al fishing all over Wisconsin, camping in his camper, playing pool at taverns, grabbing fish at the Anchor Inn or playing cards at Westgate Sportsmans Club.
Roberta lived her life for Al and Al alone. It was a deep love, a rare form of love. The greeks drew upon the word "Agape" for such love - referring to unconditional love, "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". Roberta found peace not only in her gardens, tending to her woods, and picking blueberries - but in helping others. More specifically - in LOVING others. Her love extended beyond her family to everyone around her. When others judged, Roberta offered comfort, a cup of coffee, and homemade apple crisp. Maybe a cherry strip. Everyone was blanketed in soft, warm, welcoming love.
When she walked into any room, Roberta became "mom" to everyone. Over time she was lovingly called "Ma" by those around her - especially at Westgate Sportsman Club. She was a rock for all to lean on.
In September, 1983, and again in February, 1986, Roberta received her two blessings: Gerald & Valerie.
These blessings allowed her to be "Mom" for life. and quite a mom she was. As her children, words are hard to find to define her. Even her children through marriage were drawn to her love.
Together, Roberta and Al raised Gerald and Valerie in addition to helping raise two daughters from Al's first marriage. They raised their family west of Eau Claire on Crescent Avenue - on a plot of land across the street from where Al grew up. Roberta worked in admitting for Luther-Midelfort for over twenty years and then Sacred Heart Hospital for an additional 20 years.
She changed careers late in life and worked for a financial services firm before retiring and relocating to Chetek, Wisconsin - fulfilling a lifelong retirement dream that Roberta and Al wanted to share in life. With fishing aplenty, and her pup Sassy at her side, Roberta was ready for her golden years.
Her lessons she left behind were many:
She taught the joys of the simple life.
She taught strength and how to persevere.
She taught to love openly and to restrain from judgement.
She taught how to endure life's challenges and to serve hot meals while loving others in the process.
She was a mother that not only mended clothes, she could mend hearts.
She could cook for groups of 30 or make a snack at midnight for her kids.
She could tend to a single rose bush and also find bounty in a 4-acre garden (well, 3.5 acres after the raspberries were pulled, love you mom).
Roberta also enjoyed being "grandma" - and offered cooking lessons, taught grandkids to make lefse, and hosted everyone on the holidays. Her FaceTime "kissies" became a favorite of BrookLyn.
We often say our father taught us how to work with our hands - but it was our mother that taught us how to love.
Please spend a moment with us, with your eyes closed. Remember the smile on her face when you walked into her kitchen? Remember the smell of fresh apple pie, cookies and apple sauce coming from the oven? Her coffee pot was always on and she loved sitting around the counter - where life could be discussed, love expressed, and frustrations vented all in a safe place. Before long a ham was pulled from the oven. Her mashed potatoes drew crowds. Squash and green beans too. After dinner, she would offer up some pie - and if you were lucky even a bonfire outside.
The warmth of her dinner table kept her connected to everyone and in that we learned her greatest gift. One of the world's greatest mothers passed this week, which is how we'd like her to be cherished and remembered.
Roberta is survived by her mother, Edith Miller; her children, Cheryl (Steve) Poppe, Gerald (Meghan) Bauer, and Valerie (KirkRyan) McFarland; grandchildren, Brittney Poppe, Brandon Poppe and BrookLyn McFarland; and sisters, Charlene (Lowell) Coss, and Pamela (Rich) Kastner; as well as her cherished pup, Sassy.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Al Bauer; and father, Robert Miller.
Services will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 7, 2021, at Chippewa Valley Cremation Services - Celebration of Life Center, 1717 Devney Drive, Altoona, WI 54720. Visitation will take place from 3 – 6 p.m. at the Celebration of Life Center until time of services.
Flowers may be sent to the Celebration of Life Center. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to St. Jude's Children's Hospital or Beaver Creek Reserve.
Nothing Gold Can Stay - Robert Frost
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
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