Violet Lucille Bauer

Violet “Vi” Lucille Bauer, age 96, died Saturday, November 18, at Immanuel-St. Joseph Hospital, Mankato, MN. 

   There will be a visitation at St. Peter Catholic Church on Tuesday, November 21 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial for Violet will be Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter Catholic Church with visitation one hour prior.  St. Peter Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

   Vi was born in Riceville, Iowa, on March 7, 1921, to Floyd and Lucille Kephart. The family moved to Waterville, MN and then to North Mankato when Vi was in fourth grade. She graduated from Mankato Senior High School and attended Mankato Commercial College. Vi worked for a lawyer and a real estate office before marrying Joseph Bauer on September 27, 1944, in Cleveland, MN. They lived on farms in the Lake Washington and Lake Prairie areas before buying a farm near Norseland, MN in 1962. Joe and Vi farmed until 1985 and moved to St. Peter, MN in 1993.

   Vi was a member of the XL and Monday Morning Clubs for many years and was a volunteer at the St. Peter Thrift Shop for over 20 years. She enjoyed making quilts, both miniature and full size, as well as creating items out of plastic canvas. She loved doing crossword puzzles and cryptoquotes.

   She is survived by daughters, Carol Williams of Cottage Grove, MN, Bonnie (Don) Dretsch of Marshall, MN, Barbara (Roger) Rodning of St. Peter, Joanne (David) Johnson of St. Peter; son, Joseph Jr (Lori) Bauer of St. Peter; 8 grandchildren, Teresa Williams, Kyle Dretsch, Trent Rodning, Mitch and Marty Johnson, Jake, Amanda and Ethan Bauer; 6 great-grand children; and many nieces and nephews. Vi was preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Lucille Kephart; her husband, Joe; daughter, Nancy; sister, Myrna Baker, a brother and sister, Ivan and Pyrna Kephart; and two granddaughters.