Mildred "Milly" Bauman

M ildred Ruth "Milly" Bauman, 88, died on February 1, 2017 at the Apostolic Christian Home in Sabetha.

She was born April 23, 1928, the second youngest of Clint and Lena Longberg.  She attended various country schools in the Soldier area and graduated from Sabetha High School in 1946.  After high school, she took classes at Kansas State University and taught at Morningstar School in Nemaha County.  While her professional teaching career was not long, she was a lifetime teacher of her own children and grandchildren.

On April 23, 1948, her 20th birthday, she married Joe Bauman at the Methodist Church parsonage in Seneca.  The couple farmed and raised cattle on the Bauman family farm south of Bern for 60 years. Milly was not only wife and mother, but she also kept track of paperwork and taxes for the farm, the bull rental business, and the auction business.  For many years, she clerked the auctions and was always conscientious and scrupulous in her work.  Milly was not just a paperwork partner in their businesses, but she drove the tractor, picked up rocks, and herded cattle.

Milly was a loyal and faithful member of the Bern United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women.  She served on numerous committees, taught Bible and Sunday school, helped with luncheons and showers and cared deeply about her church family.  She enjoyed attending district meetings for the United Methodist Women and the women’s retreats in Baldwin.  She was also a longtime member of the Happy Homemaker’s Extension Unit and enjoyed presenting and learning from the extension lessons and the other women.  She was active in Kansas Cattlewomen and was a leader for the Lucky Shamrock 4-H club for many years.

Putting her thoughts on paper was a gift she had.  For a number of years, she wrote the Bern News column for the Sabetha and Seneca papers.  She also wrote letters of sympathy and encouragement and also sent homemade cards to her grandchildren for each holiday.  Her journals are a source of family history and memories.  Milly was not known for sitting still.  She was an excellent cook and could feed multitudes and make it look easy.  Her hand-embroidered tablecloths were a treasured gift.  One of the original “recyclers,” she cut denim squares from old jeans and overalls, and her grandchildren all received a personalized denim quilt upon high school graduation.  She was an early riser, and the family joke was that she could accomplish more before 6:00 in the morning than most people could all day.

Survivors include her children, Betty Bauman (Tom Kennedy) of Richmond, Virginia, Beverly (Larry) Wittmer of Colony, Ben (Marj) Bauman of Holton, Brenda Bauman (Paul) Swank of Topeka and Boyd (Lisa) Bauman of Overland Park;  grandchildren, LT T.J. Kennedy (USCG), Andrew Kennedy, Michelle (Kennedy) LaRocca, Shelle (Wittmer) Verkler, Matthew, Adam and Caleb Wittmer, Nathan and Scott Bauman, Alison (Bauman) Anderson, Leah (Swank) Zlatnik, Hannah, Joe and Rebekah Swank, Haven and Milly Bauman and 20 great-grandchildren.

She is also survived by her sister, Gladys Mary Renyer of Wakarusa and a brother, Ben Longberg of Wichita.

Preceding her in death were Joe Bauman, her husband of almost 65 years; her parents; and siblings, Bud Longberg, Dorothy Hill, Della Antes, Dutch Longberg, Pat Longberg and Mike Longberg.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at the Bern United Methodist Church. Visitation will be 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at Popkess Mortuary in Sabetha. Interrnent will be in the Bern Cemetery.  Memorials may be left in Milly’s memory to Bern United Methodist Church and the Bern Community Fund.  The family would like to thank the many employees of Cobblestone Assisted Living and the Apostolic Christian Home for their loving care of Milly and Joe over the last few years.