Robert Lee Bauer was born on the Mill Family Homestead on Wells Road, Cheney, Washington on June 23rd, 1934, to John William Bauer and Maidie Virginia (Norton) Bauer at home. As a young boy he played in the fields, helped feed the pigs and cows and horses and mules and rode on the tractor with his dad. When Lee was older, he worked with his dad plowing the fields after harvest, planting the fall and spring crops and worked as the header man on the Case pull combine his dad owned.
During Lee's school years he was very active in sports. His dad, John, built a half-court basketball court in the top part of the barn. Lee practiced every day in the evenings after finishing his chores and schoolwork.
During his school years Lee was given the nickname "Brother" by his mother, sisters and other members of the Norton Family, his mother's family.
During Lee's sophomore, junior and senior took his basketball team to state winning the state championship in 1950, 1951 and 1952. When Lee graduated, he was given an all-sport letter for football, basketball, track and baseball.
After graduation from high school Lee was eligible for a sports scholarship but turned the scholarship down. Lee's reason was to farm with his dad John and be with his children and wife. Lee had married on August 24th, 1951, and already had one son.
After high school Lee continued playing basketball on the Spangle Washington team. In the fall of 1957 was hurrying home from a team basketball game and rolled his 1957 Chevrolet pickup on what is known in the area as Campbell's Corner. The corner is a hairpin corner which was banked to the east. Lee had put a large gas tank which was used to fuel the family Case pull combine in the field. There was still over 100 gallons of gas in the tank and the weight of the gas tank rolled the pickup.
A friend of Lee's that also played on the Spangle team that night came along later and found the pickup sitting on its top. The friend went to Lee's dad's house and got a rope and his dad to help get the pickup on its tires and put some gas in. All the gas had drained out while sitting on its top.
Lee did not go see a doctor after the accident!
From 1959 on Lee 's health declined. Lee suffered from extreme headaches. One September 30th, 1962, Lee died in the same bedroom and bed he had been born in in 1934 from swelling of the brain. Lee's mother, sisters and the Norton Family all felt he had been seriously injured in the rollover accident he was in the fall of 1957.
Lee was buried in Spokane Memorial Gardens, Spokane Washington on October 5th, 1962.
Lee's obituary was in the Cheney Free Press and reads as follows:
ROBERT LEE BAUER CLAIMED BY DEATH
Robert Bauer was born June 23, 1934, in the house his great grandfather, John Mill, built in 1903. He died early Sunday morning, September 30, 1962, in the same room he was born in. Lee was a lifelong resident, married Erna Jean Melville on August 24, 1952, and graduated from Cheney HS in June of 1953. Lee was very active in sports. Lee was a member of the Cheney Lutheran Church.
Lee farmed with his father, John William Bauer, on the family homesteads south of Cheney.
Lee is survived by his wife, Erna Jean, four sons, David, Dale, Donald and Steven. Lee is survived by one daughter, Cynthia. Also, Lee is survived by his parents, John Bauer and Maidie Wilson and one sister, Valdean Hutton and grandmother B. F. Norton. Lee is also survived by four nephews. Lee was loved by all in the Cheney - Spangle area.
During Lee's school years he was very active in sports. His dad, John, built a half-court basketball court in the top part of the barn. Lee practiced every day in the evenings after finishing his chores and schoolwork.
During his school years Lee was given the nickname "Brother" by his mother, sisters and other members of the Norton Family, his mother's family.
During Lee's sophomore, junior and senior took his basketball team to state winning the state championship in 1950, 1951 and 1952. When Lee graduated, he was given an all-sport letter for football, basketball, track and baseball.
After graduation from high school Lee was eligible for a sports scholarship but turned the scholarship down. Lee's reason was to farm with his dad John and be with his children and wife. Lee had married on August 24th, 1951, and already had one son.
After high school Lee continued playing basketball on the Spangle Washington team. In the fall of 1957 was hurrying home from a team basketball game and rolled his 1957 Chevrolet pickup on what is known in the area as Campbell's Corner. The corner is a hairpin corner which was banked to the east. Lee had put a large gas tank which was used to fuel the family Case pull combine in the field. There was still over 100 gallons of gas in the tank and the weight of the gas tank rolled the pickup.
A friend of Lee's that also played on the Spangle team that night came along later and found the pickup sitting on its top. The friend went to Lee's dad's house and got a rope and his dad to help get the pickup on its tires and put some gas in. All the gas had drained out while sitting on its top.
Lee did not go see a doctor after the accident!
From 1959 on Lee 's health declined. Lee suffered from extreme headaches. One September 30th, 1962, Lee died in the same bedroom and bed he had been born in in 1934 from swelling of the brain. Lee's mother, sisters and the Norton Family all felt he had been seriously injured in the rollover accident he was in the fall of 1957.
Lee was buried in Spokane Memorial Gardens, Spokane Washington on October 5th, 1962.
Lee's obituary was in the Cheney Free Press and reads as follows:
ROBERT LEE BAUER CLAIMED BY DEATH
Robert Bauer was born June 23, 1934, in the house his great grandfather, John Mill, built in 1903. He died early Sunday morning, September 30, 1962, in the same room he was born in. Lee was a lifelong resident, married Erna Jean Melville on August 24, 1952, and graduated from Cheney HS in June of 1953. Lee was very active in sports. Lee was a member of the Cheney Lutheran Church.
Lee farmed with his father, John William Bauer, on the family homesteads south of Cheney.
Lee is survived by his wife, Erna Jean, four sons, David, Dale, Donald and Steven. Lee is survived by one daughter, Cynthia. Also, Lee is survived by his parents, John Bauer and Maidie Wilson and one sister, Valdean Hutton and grandmother B. F. Norton. Lee is also survived by four nephews. Lee was loved by all in the Cheney - Spangle area.
Robert Lee Bauer was born on the Mill Family Homestead on Wells Road, Cheney, Washington on June 23rd, 1934, to John William Bauer and Maidie Virginia (Norton) Bauer at home. As a young boy he played in the fields, helped feed the pigs and cows and horses and mules and rode on the tractor with his dad. When Lee was older, he worked with his dad plowing the fields after harvest, planting the fall and spring crops and worked as the header man on the Case pull combine his dad owned.
During Lee's school years he was very active in sports. His dad, John, built a half-court basketball court in the top part of the barn. Lee practiced every day in the evenings after finishing his chores and schoolwork.
During his school years Lee was given the nickname "Brother" by his mother, sisters and other members of the Norton Family, his mother's family.
During Lee's sophomore, junior and senior took his basketball team to state winning the state championship in 1950, 1951 and 1952. When Lee graduated, he was given an all-sport letter for football, basketball, track and baseball.
After graduation from high school Lee was eligible for a sports scholarship but turned the scholarship down. Lee's reason was to farm with his dad John and be with his children and wife. Lee had married on August 24th, 1951, and already had one son.
After high school Lee continued playing basketball on the Spangle Washington team. In the fall of 1957 was hurrying home from a team basketball game and rolled his 1957 Chevrolet pickup on what is known in the area as Campbell's Corner. The corner is a hairpin corner which was banked to the east. Lee had put a large gas tank which was used to fuel the family Case pull combine in the field. There was still over 100 gallons of gas in the tank and the weight of the gas tank rolled the pickup.
A friend of Lee's that also played on the Spangle team that night came along later and found the pickup sitting on its top. The friend went to Lee's dad's house and got a rope and his dad to help get the pickup on its tires and put some gas in. All the gas had drained out while sitting on its top.
Lee did not go see a doctor after the accident!
From 1959 on Lee 's health declined. Lee suffered from extreme headaches. One September 30th, 1962, Lee died in the same bedroom and bed he had been born in in 1934 from swelling of the brain. Lee's mother, sisters and the Norton Family all felt he had been seriously injured in the rollover accident he was in the fall of 1957.
Lee was buried in Spokane Memorial Gardens, Spokane Washington on October 5th, 1962.
Lee's obituary was in the Cheney Free Press and reads as follows:
ROBERT LEE BAUER CLAIMED BY DEATH
Robert Bauer was born June 23, 1934, in the house his great grandfather, John Mill, built in 1903. He died early Sunday morning, September 30, 1962, in the same room he was born in. Lee was a lifelong resident, married Erna Jean Melville on August 24, 1952, and graduated from Cheney HS in June of 1953. Lee was very active in sports. Lee was a member of the Cheney Lutheran Church.
Lee farmed with his father, John William Bauer, on the family homesteads south of Cheney.
Lee is survived by his wife, Erna Jean, four sons, David, Dale, Donald and Steven. Lee is survived by one daughter, Cynthia. Also, Lee is survived by his parents, John Bauer and Maidie Wilson and one sister, Valdean Hutton and grandmother B. F. Norton. Lee is also survived by four nephews. Lee was loved by all in the Cheney - Spangle area.
During Lee's school years he was very active in sports. His dad, John, built a half-court basketball court in the top part of the barn. Lee practiced every day in the evenings after finishing his chores and schoolwork.
During his school years Lee was given the nickname "Brother" by his mother, sisters and other members of the Norton Family, his mother's family.
During Lee's sophomore, junior and senior took his basketball team to state winning the state championship in 1950, 1951 and 1952. When Lee graduated, he was given an all-sport letter for football, basketball, track and baseball.
After graduation from high school Lee was eligible for a sports scholarship but turned the scholarship down. Lee's reason was to farm with his dad John and be with his children and wife. Lee had married on August 24th, 1951, and already had one son.
After high school Lee continued playing basketball on the Spangle Washington team. In the fall of 1957 was hurrying home from a team basketball game and rolled his 1957 Chevrolet pickup on what is known in the area as Campbell's Corner. The corner is a hairpin corner which was banked to the east. Lee had put a large gas tank which was used to fuel the family Case pull combine in the field. There was still over 100 gallons of gas in the tank and the weight of the gas tank rolled the pickup.
A friend of Lee's that also played on the Spangle team that night came along later and found the pickup sitting on its top. The friend went to Lee's dad's house and got a rope and his dad to help get the pickup on its tires and put some gas in. All the gas had drained out while sitting on its top.
Lee did not go see a doctor after the accident!
From 1959 on Lee 's health declined. Lee suffered from extreme headaches. One September 30th, 1962, Lee died in the same bedroom and bed he had been born in in 1934 from swelling of the brain. Lee's mother, sisters and the Norton Family all felt he had been seriously injured in the rollover accident he was in the fall of 1957.
Lee was buried in Spokane Memorial Gardens, Spokane Washington on October 5th, 1962.
Lee's obituary was in the Cheney Free Press and reads as follows:
ROBERT LEE BAUER CLAIMED BY DEATH
Robert Bauer was born June 23, 1934, in the house his great grandfather, John Mill, built in 1903. He died early Sunday morning, September 30, 1962, in the same room he was born in. Lee was a lifelong resident, married Erna Jean Melville on August 24, 1952, and graduated from Cheney HS in June of 1953. Lee was very active in sports. Lee was a member of the Cheney Lutheran Church.
Lee farmed with his father, John William Bauer, on the family homesteads south of Cheney.
Lee is survived by his wife, Erna Jean, four sons, David, Dale, Donald and Steven. Lee is survived by one daughter, Cynthia. Also, Lee is survived by his parents, John Bauer and Maidie Wilson and one sister, Valdean Hutton and grandmother B. F. Norton. Lee is also survived by four nephews. Lee was loved by all in the Cheney - Spangle area.
