Marcella Bauer

October 6, 1932 – June 11, 2018

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Marcella Mary Bauer at Samaritan Place in Saskatoon, SK, on Monday June 11, 2018.

Marcella was born on October 6, 1932 at the home farm near Cudworth, Saskatchewan, to parents John and Alvina Medernach and was the second child of nine. She attended high school at the Ursuline Convent in Bruno, and then went on to Normal School in Saskatoon where she obtained her first her teaching certificate.  She returned to university in later years and in the ‘70’s completed her BA and B’ Ed at the U of S, both with distinction. 

During her early teaching years in the Cudworth area, she met a tall, dark, handsome guy in the local church choir who was from Bruno.  On July 14, 1952 Marcella and Don Bauer were married and an amazing journey began! 

Marcella loved to travel, learn, and enjoyed new experiences. Over the course of their married life Marcella and Don have lived exceptional opportunities. Don’s work commitments saw them living in many places; from Winnipeg to the Northern tundra of Churchill, Manitoba, to France and Europe, Toronto, Arizona, and Wakaw Lake.  Though not always trouble-free, this was in part what gave Marcella her ‘adventurer spirit’. Don and Marcella took many trips together over the years – Australia and New Zealand, east to the Maritimes, north to Alaska, many return trips to their Park Model in Mesa, numerous times back to Europe to see friends and family in France, Germany and Luxembourg just to name a few.  She also took some memorable trips with her sister Lucille, one through the Panama Canal and another to the Holy Land. At each stop along the way she accumulated friends, which often developed into lifelong friendships. Through all these travels, because much of her family lived near Cudworth, it was still considered homebase and since 1967 they have called Saskatoon home. 

Marcella was an irrepressible extrovert, abundantly generous and many times opened her home to others long before ‘home stays’ were in vogue. She loved entertaining and would always do it in style.  It was her untiring effort and enthusiasm to introduce and maintain relationships with friends and family with other friends and family that has enriched all of us that knew her. Our family continues to benefit from this rich legacy, carrying on these ties and connections in places near and far. Marcella had many talents and she would sew many of the girls clothes – always matching outfits.  She was also a member of the German Club and choir, a Square Dance Club, Toastmasters, and loved helping church-sponsored immigrant families. 

A spirited woman with a curious mind, Marcella challenged us all to learn and grow every day. She valued education and was a strong proponent of the value of experiential learning, especially encouraging higher education and travel. In later years, always a teacher, she dedicated herself to creating fun with hands-on learning disguised as play for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Cribbage, board games, outings, baking, gardening, trips to the Lake, to Arizona - the list goes on.  Visits from the grandchildren and great-grandchildren remained one of her fondest pleasures right to the end.

Marcella was known for her exuberance and enjoyed social occasions (understatement!). She was unbeatable at cards, and hated to lose at anything-even the grandchildren had to hold their own when there was scorekeeping involved! But, you always had a good chance of winning if partnered with her for Kaiser or Bridge.

She found pleasure in music, peace in nature, and beauty in flowers. There were always colorful flowerbeds and hanging baskets wherever Marcella lived, and we all appreciated many beautiful days at the cabin at Wakaw Lake surrounded by the birds, squirrels, and flowers.  Even towards the end of her life her favorite thing, next to an evening drive to spot a deer or two, or holding a visiting puppy, was to sit in the gazebo with Dad at Samaritan Place admiring his flower and vegetable garden, now and then catching a glimpse of that rabbit who threatened the sweet peas!

Marcella was predeceased by her parents, John and Alvina Medernach her siblings, Roland (in infancy), Genevieve Kurtenbach, and MaryAnn Frie, Brothers-in law, Walter Kurtenbach, Edwin Reding, Werner Bauer.

She is survived and dearly missed by her husband Donald; her daughters Peggy Walker (Darrel) and Donna Lee Bauer (Denis Graul); five grandchildren, Amanda Walker, Lance Walker (Lindsey) and their children Isabella, Liam and Connor; Luke Walker (Kandice) and their children Zoe and Darrel; Stephen Noonan (Alyssa), and Sean Noonan (Ashley).  She is also survived by her siblings: Louis (Leona) Medernach, Philip (Terry) Medernach, Lucille Reding, Audry (Ray) Blais, Catherine Medernach, aunts, uncles, cousins and numerous nieces and nephews.

We wish to thank the exceptional staff at Samaritan Place for their loving care for Marcella during the past 2 ½ years.  A special thank you goes to our family friend, Dr. Ewa Olszynski for the tender and compassionate care she has given Marcella.  Also thanks to John at Mourning Glory for his invaluable help.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 18, 2018 at Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church (114 Kingsmere Pl.) in Saskatoon. Following the reception, the Rite of Committal will take place at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marcella’s name to the Canadian Diabetes Association, or the Heart and Stroke Foundation.