Meet Georgia Bauer: A Life of Hard Work, Family, and Love

Meet Georgia Bauer: A Life of Hard Work, Family, and Love

This month’s Resident Spotlight celebrates Georgia Bauer, a woman whose life has been filled with dedication, resilience, and warmth. From her early days growing up in a large farming family to raising her own children and building a legacy with her husband, Rog, Georgia’s story is one of love, adventure, and an unwavering commitment to family.

 

Growing Up in a Large Family

Georgia Elizabeth Schmitt Bauer was born into a big, loving family as the eldest of ten siblings. Growing up, she had to share space with her younger siblings—especially her brother Dennis, who always had the coldest feet! The family had a vast network of relatives, with 58 first cousins, making every gathering a lively one.

They moved frequently, attending different schools before settling in Richmond, Illinois, where Georgia graduated from Richmond Burton High School. Known for her outgoing personality, Georgia was never one to shy away from involvement. She worked in the school office, met her best friend Audrey Barber, and even had the honor of being on the prom court.

 

Building a Family & a Life on the Farm

Coming from a farming community, it was only natural that Georgia would marry a farmer. She married Roland (Rog) Bauer on October 7, 1950. Rog often joked that Georgia was a gypsy and that he married her to settle her down! Together, they raised five children, running a farm while balancing the demands of daily life.

 

Georgia’s days started at 5 AM, helping Rog milk the cows while juggling household responsibilities—waking the kids, making breakfast, hanging laundry outside, and preparing lunch and dinner all at once. But life on the farm meant even more—running tractors, taking care of chickens, and even butchering beef, hogs, and chickens.

She always kept a sense of humor about her hard work, joking:

"Women live longer because we’re made for the long haul… and we can’t die sooner, we still have things to do!"

 

 

A Love for Family, Fun, and the Chicago Cubs

Despite the hard work, Georgia made sure to create lasting memories for her children. Summers were spent at Lake Como, where she and her sister-in-law Dorothy would take the kids for a week of fishing and swimming. Another favorite tradition was spending a few days in Wisconsin Dells with sisters, sisters-in-law, and all the grandkids.

 

Georgia’s love for the Chicago Cubs is legendary. She is a die-hard Cubs fan, and everyone knows it! But beyond baseball, she was known for her incredible baking skills. Her children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren always knew that Grandma’s freezer was stocked with sweet treats.

Georgia also had a knack for wallpapering, painting, gardening, and needlework. She always needed something to do with her hands—especially when watching her beloved Cubs on TV!

 

A New Chapter in Life

As her children grew up and left home, Georgia took a job at The Plaindealer, a local newspaper, where she and her colleagues—known as “The Plaindealer Ladies”—worked on stuffing advertisements into the papers.

After retiring from dairy farming, she and Rog transitioned into crop farming. This shift gave them more time, allowing them to become snowbirds in Florida. While Rog tolerated the warm weather, Georgia loved the social scene down south.

Georgia also spent years volunteering at Northwestern Hospital in McHenry, working in the ER department. She loved staying active, helping others, and—of course—keeping up with the latest town news!

 

Cherishing Moments and Overcoming Loss

Life has been filled with joy and social events—from weddings and baby showers to family gatherings where laughter and love filled the air. But Georgia has also faced heartbreak, losing two of her children, Randy and Jennifer, and her husband Rog. Through it all, she has remained strong, surrounded by the family and memories they built together.

 

Georgia now lives just down the road from her family farm at The Heathers Senior Homes, where she enjoys visits from loved ones and continues to cherish the legacy she and Rog created. Seeing the farm brings Georgia immense happiness knowing this is what she and Rog have left for all their children.

 

Final Thoughts

As Rose Kennedy once said:

"Life isn’t a matter of milestones but of moments."

For Georgia, life has been filled with meaningful moments—from early mornings on the farm to Cubs games, summer vacations, and sweet memories with family. She is an inspiration to those around her, a true embodiment of strength, resilience, and love.

We are honored to have Georgia as a cherished member of The Heathers Community, and we thank her family for sharing her incredible story.