Shirley Bauer

Shirley was born March 5th, 1936, in Graceville, Minnesota born to Elijah Rose Hawley and Ida Pearl Harsin Hawley. Shirley was the oldest of her siblings, Caroline Wimmer, Ray Hawley, and Robert Hawley. After a year they moved to Nebraska where they lived in multiple cities throughout the state. She graduated from Mitchell High School in 1954. It was after high school that she met her next-door neighbor whom lived across the street, Melvin Bauer. They would soon fall in love, running off together to Hot Springs, South Dakota. Where it was legal for the lovebirds to get married whilst Shirley was 18. They got married on December 10th, 1954, then moving to Scottsbluff, having their first child, Ronald Alan. They stayed in Scottsbluff for a little while before moving to Kimball, having Sharon Faye, Laura, Victoria Eileen, and Charles David. Job opportunities arose and the family moved to Edgerton, Wyoming. They stayed there for a short while before ultimately making one last move to Casper, Wyoming on July 4th,1969, buying the family house where they finalized their family with Ruth Marie, and Brian Leroy. This house became a home, where they raised their children, their grandchildren and great grandchildren, when a brief illness took Melvin Leroy Bauer from his family in 2001, Shirley stayed strong being the matriarch she was, she continued to hold the family together. Victoria Eileen was also taken from the family in 2012, this was hard, but Shirley still stayed strong. Her last years weren’t as lively, she surrounded herself with family in her home. Always a phone call away and the door always open for others to visit. Shirley succumbed to her age on February 17th, 2024. Shirley was proceeded in death by her parents, ER and Ida Hawley, siblings, Caroline Wimmer and Ray Hawley; husband, Melvin Bauer; daughter, Vicky Oliver; son in laws, Jay Curfew and Joe Oliver; granddaughter Pearl Collins, grandson Geoff Lee, Timothy Whitchurch; and great granddaughter, Briley Flinner. She is survived by her Aunt Margery Cape; brother Robert & Jan Hawley; sister in-law Julie Hawley her loving children, Ronald Bauer, Sharon Curfew, Laura Flinner, David Bauer, Ruth Lee, and Brian Bauer; grandchildren, Michelle Gardner, Micheal Gardner, Melanie Edgin , Sam Flinner, Steven Flinner, Austin Flinner, Heidi Balls, Colton Flinner, Holly Gould, Andy Flinner, Crystal Carpenter, Aaron Collins, Matthew Collins, Kimberly Bauer, Jennifer Garrison, Britney Horne, Micheal Garrison, Dustin Garrison, Andrea Brandt, AJ Lee, and Bridgette Bauer, 41 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren.

Services for Shirley will be held on Friday, February 23, 2024 at 1:00pm at Sunrise Baptist Church.