Ann Bauer, a resident of Berrien Springs, Michigan, passed away on 9 February, at the age of 110 years, 145 days. Her passing was confirmed through a public obituary published by the Allred Funeral Home.
Ann Bauer was born in Grassy Butte, North Dakota, USA, on 17 September 1914, to parents Mike and Alexandria Gruzensky. She had four siblings. Her mother’s family had immigrated to the United States from Russia around 1909. Ann, the eldest of five children, grew up on a farm.
She married Al Bauer on 2 September 1940, the day after she graduated as an RN from the University of Colorado. Bauer and her husband built their careers and raised four children while living in North Dakota, British Columbia (Canada), Wisconsin, and Michigan. She learned to drive when her oldest child turned 16, joining them in driver’s education and taking the licensing exams together. In the 1950s, she became one of the first Tupperware dealers, attracted to the flexibility of direct sales over shift work in nursing. Over the next 42 years, she drove a station wagon to train new dealers, ultimately becoming one of the top 25 sales leaders in the U.S. for many years.
In 1966, she moved to Berrien Springs and became an active member of the community. As newlyweds, she and her husband Al shared a goal of visiting as many national parks as possible, as the National Park System was still in its early days. They traveled to every continent except Antarctica, taking trips in their travel trailer, then a small RV, and meeting friends along the way.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Ann Bauer during this difficult time.
