63748_Edward Frank_Bauer
Edward Frank Bauer, son of Frank Sr. and Catherine (Matheis) Bauer, was born on July 16, 1927, in rural Swea City. He graduated from Swea City Community School in 1946. Throughout the high school years, he worked for Bell Motor Company in Swea City and drove school bus. After graduation, Ed served in the United States Army and was stationed in Korea. Upon returning home, he took flight lessons at the airport in Fairmont, MN. Young Ed liked to roller skate, and one Sunday afternoon at the roller skating rink in Estherville he met this lovely lady, Garnita Brunsvold, of Spirit Lake, IA. Several flights were taken to the Estherville area, and she became his wife on October 9, 1950. They started farming and then in 1952 started a crop spraying business. This included aerial spraying in which he was the pilot. He was living his dream with farming and spraying. In 1965, Ed and Garnita purchased the family farm North of Bancroft where they worked together until her passing in 1980.
Ed enjoyed working, flying, and fox hunting with friends. He enjoyed listening to his favorite Polka music on Sunday afternoons. He spent the past 25 years wintering in Arizona. He was a member of St. John~s Catholic Church and the Matzener Estle American Legion of Ledyard.
Edward F. Bauer died Tuesday, January 28, 2014, at the Heritage Nursing Home in Bancroft, IA, at the age of 86.
He is survived by five children, Diane (Eldon) Jorgenson of Ledyard, Rick (June) Bauer of Bancroft, Jerry (Karen) Bauer of Bancroft, Trudy (Terry) Blome of Ledyard, and Lori (Steve) Lloyd of Lake Crystal, MN; 14 grandchildren, Sheridee (Murl) Dodds of Algona, Stacie Anderson of Welcome, MN, Heather (Ben) Olsen of Hudson, Derrick (Danica) Bauer of Bancroft, Lana (Blair) Wegner of Wells, MN, Brandon (Molly) Bauer of Shueyville, Matthew (Brittany) Bauer of Swea City, Eric Bauer of Shueyville, Jamie (Aaron) Woodburn of Independence, MN, Jason (Amber) Blome of Ankeny, Jacob (Amanda) Blome of Maple Grove. MN, Jayna (Ryan) Hoover of Ankeny, Brock Lloyd of Gilbert, AZ, and Vanessa Lloyd of Lake Crystal, MN; and 22 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by three brothers and a sister, Matt Bauer of Bancroft, Frank Bauer Jr. of Austin, TX, John (Mary) Bauer of Spirit Lake, Idaho, and Mary (Dale) Albright of Blue Earth, MN; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Garnita, on November 24, 1980; a grandson in infancy, and a brother, Joe, in December 2013.