By William Meiners
Herald Staff Writer
About a half day before Ceo Bauer Jr. officially turned 100 years old, dozens of family members, friends, and community well-wishers turned out at the Ithaca Community Center last Saturday to celebrate his century achievement. Bauer greeted folks on the sidewalk amidst yard signage declaring, “Jr. is 100.”
Bauer, long referred to by his name suffix, would hardly be a junior to anyone in this county, or even around the country. Yet he has shared his storied history for many years.
Wounded in a World War II battle on November 8, 1944, Bauer is one of the few remaining “Iron Men of Metz,” the U.S. Army 95th Infantry Division who helped liberate a French village from the Nazis.
Of course over 100 years, Bauer’s existence would have affected many lives, not the least of which would be the residents and their descendants of a French Village who have routinely invited the Iron Men back for celebrations.
Closer to home, Billie Bauer and Kim Urbon, both nieces of Jr. who have accompanied him back to France, marvel at the example of a “life lived positive” that their uncle personifies.
“He always sees the positive,” Urbon said. “He’s always upbeat and there for his family.”
Billie and Urbon were among several family members who pulled the party together. Billie kicked it off with a prayer, expressing gratitude for Jr.’s longevity and service and a few more years to “leave no stories unturned.”
Sporting a baseball cap that read “100 never looked so good,” Bauer passed out business cards that announced “Explorer — Seasoned Veteran — Expert Advice.” Over lunch and the course of two hours, the birthday celebrant shared stories about all of it.
Among the many partygoers in attendance was R.L Green, from St. Louis, who at 93 years old himself, can claim to be one of Bauer’s oldest friends. They met 70 years ago, eating lunch beside each other at the Razor’s Edge Restaurant, owned by Roger and Ardis Williams, also Jr.’s younger sister.
The two men have dined over countless breakfasts since the 1950s. Although he’s a Michigan State alumnus, as well as the university’s “longest, continuous” donor, Bauer “liked something he read about Alma College,” Green said, and began donating to them years back. “He loves being connected with a group.”
From his association with the VFW to his work on the All-Wars Memorial in Ithaca, Bauer has long been connected to the groups that remember and honor veterans. Not surprisingly, his interest in education stems from the importance of teaching history and helping others earn a degree.
Bauer graduated from Michigan State in 1949 with a degree in civil engineering. He then spent a 31-year career with the Michigan Highway Department, playing a significant role in an infrastructure plan that built highways all over the U.S. in the 1950s.
In a long career of achievements and philanthropic work, Bauer does not seem to be slipping quietly into retirement. State Representative Jerry Neyer, from the 92nd district, showed up at the Community Center to deliver a framed tribute for Bauer’s “leadership and presence in our life.”
“I met Jr. a few months ago at the end of the campaign and we got reacquainted at a Farm Bureau function recently,” said Neyer, acknowledging the importance of the official tribute.
For all the shared laughs and hearty handshakes, Billie Bauer may have put it best when it comes to the inevitable question about the secret to a long life. “He’s kind,” she said of her uncle. “He never says a bad word about anyone and that may be part of his lease on a long life.”