Millie "Maxine" (Marti) Bauer, 86, of West Bend, WI, formally of Rosewood Heights, IL, passed from the loving arms of her daughter into the arms of the Lord on Wednesday, September 8, 2021. Her beloved granddaughter and faithful dog Max also at her side.
She was born on August 3, 1935, in Vandalia, Il to Mildred and Eldon Marti. She was Married to Kenneth Richard Bauer on December 30, 1961. Maxine had a wonderful life full of love and giving. She spent her life teaching others. From the halls of St. Kevin's school in Rosewood Heights, Il in the 60's when you didn't need a teaching degree, only taking a time out to raise her 2 children Melissa and Michael. During that time, she volunteered wherever she could. She was her Daughters Girl Scout leader as well as for the other girls as St. Kevin's, the Neighborhood Cookie Chairman and even was the Neighborhood Chairman of the River Bluffs Girl Scout Council. She didn't stop there as she was also the Den leader for her son's Cub Scout Pack, as well as the Softball Coach and Volleyball coach at St. Kevin's. During this time, she also went back to SIU-E to finally become the teacher she always wanted to be, graduating in 1982. She was a substitute teacher wherever she could until finally earning her own classroom in 1986 at Bethalto West Elementary for the 4th grade where she continued for the next 10 years. She did not stop with her Bachelor's in education and earned her Reading Specialist endorsement, as well as her Gifted and Science endorsements. The Bethalto School District tapped her to evaluate students and help them with their reading within the Title 1 program, as well as tutoring after school in Social Studies and Math and leading a literature circle for students before school up until her retirement from the classroom in 2006. You would also see her annually in the homecoming parade with one of her former students riding in her little red BMW Z3. That was one of the few times the top was ever down. Never one to sit around she continued to substitute teach until she needed to stay home to take care of her husband of 54 years after a stroke left him housebound until he could no longer walk and was placed in a care facility. Even that did not end her dedication as she fed him dinner every night and helped others at the facility as well, never one to turn from someone in need. From 1975 until she could no longer because of the needs of her husband she taught Red Cross swimming lessons in her back yard and at various YMCA's particularly loving teaching the babies which she wrote her thesis on.
She is survived by her daughter Melissa (Paul) McAughey and her grandchildren Makayla Bauer, Kenny and Adele McAughey and her many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her Mother Mildred, father Eldon, brother Eldon, nephews Schubert Cresswell, and Rick Marti, husband Kenneth and her beloved son Michael.
A celebration of life will take place in West Bend on October 25 at her daughter's home, and on November 6, 2021, near her home in Illinois. Details to be released later.