BAUER names found: Fred, John, Evelyn, M.L."Radar", Hulda, Martha, Hertha, Eva, Bill, LaVerne, Marjorie, Della, Delores, Duane, Irene, Lorraine, Lydia, Vivian, Ottilie, Dan, Otto Various in-laws mentioned: Biel, Bieber, Wendling, Mewing, Himmerich, Buechler, Jacobs, Schlepp, Heerwalden, Nelson, Rickard, Fiechtner, Buechler, Ackerman, Teske http://pixel.cs.vt.edu/library/towns/link/java75.txt Java SD, Diamond Jubilee, 1900-1975. . . . . . . . . . . . . Published by the Odessa Digital Library - 1 Mar 1994 http://pixel.cs.vt.edu/library/odessa.html This document may be freely used for personal, nonprofit purposes or linked by other WWW sites. It may also be shared with others, provided the header with copyright notice is included. However, it may not be republished in any form without permission of the copyright owner. Copyright 1994, Roger W. Ehrich, 1407 Locust Avenue, Blacksburg, VA 24060, ehrich@vt.edu NOTE: This transcription of "Pioneer Footprints, Diamond Jubilee, Java, South Dakota 1900-1975" was prepared by Roger W. Ehrich on March 1, 1994 and is issued with the permission of Mrs. Erna Schlepp, Chairman, 75th Jubilee Book Committee. "Of Java's business places when the town celebrated its 50th Golden Jubilee, Bauer & Sons was one of the oldest businesses which was operated by the Bauers: Fred, John and his sister, Evelyn. After their death, it was vacant for a time and in 1960 it was sold." "Bauer & Stoller (John Bauer, Jacob Stoller) General Store" "John Bauer, Jacob Hoff, and Jacob Stoller came from Eureka, constructed a large store, 26x50, and stocked a fine line of general merchandise, opening for business in December of 1900 under the firm name of Bauer, Hoff, and Stoller. In 1905 an addition was built on the south side in order to expand the business. Mr. Hoff left the partnership in 1908, with Bauer and Stoller continuing the venture. From about 1904 until the middle of 1913, this store housed the post office, as Mr. Stoller had been appointed postmaster; and, with his efficient deputy, Miss Annette Stoller, had given the patrons very creditable service. In 1915, Jacob Stoller dissolved the partnership. The firm then operated as Bauer & Sons for many years,--in later years by Miss Evelyn Bauer and her brothers, John Jr., and Fred E. When, in 1950, Java celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, Bauer & Sons was the oldest pioneer store remaining, not only in Java, but in Walworth county as well. A disastrous fire in the later years of the store's existence severely damaged the original portion of the store; the salvaged portion was remodeled, and the family has been the site of Pfitzer Creamery and later Paint Store, operated by Mr. and Mrs. Chris J. Pfitzer,--and for a time, housed Dee's Beauty Salon." "At about the same time grain elevators were being erected along the course of the railway. These were the Bauer, Hoff & Stoller Elevator, the Bagley Elevator Company, the Crown Elevator, and the Potter, Garrick and Potter Elevator. Prior to the establishment of banking facilities in Java, Bauer, Hoff, and Stoller paid their own grain checks at their store, while the Bagley Elevator Company and Crown Elevator made arrangements with John Hofmeyer to pay their grain tickets." "In 1945, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. purchased the Dakota Public Service Company....MDU elected to make Selby a district headquarters town in 1972 and appointed M. L. "Radar" Bauer to assume the role of district manager.... The average cost of electricity in 1910 for a resident of the area was almost 600 percent greater than the same amount of electricity used today. Electric service has come a long way in the past 65 years." --------------------- "The Java Bloomers - (standing, left to right, maiden names): Gertie Banik, Lorraine Schott, Anne Banik, Hulda Bauer, Bertha Spiry. Seated, Martha Bauer, John Spiry (catcher), Hertha Bauer and Pauline Schlepp. JAVA BLOOMERS In May of 1909, a number of Java ladies organized a ladies ball team. This newly organized team was known as the "Java Bloomers". On Sunday, May 30, they played the "Heavy Weights", a team of nine 300 pounders in and around Java" ------------------------------------- ...and another fine musical number was the Miss Vivian Bauer's solo. "Bauer's had the first postoffice in Java." Eva Bauer - Garden Club Mrs. Fred Bauer - Campfire Girls leader Mrs. Bill Bauer - Sew and So Extension Club LaVerne Bauer Post No. 275 of the American Legion "It was decided to name the post the LaVerne Bauer Post, No. 275 of the American Legion in honor of Flight Officer L. V. Bauer, only son of Mr. and Mrs. John Bauer, Jr., who died in a plane crash over China in October of 1944, and who is buried in Golden Gate National Cemetery at San Francisco." JOHN AND LYDIA BAUER "John Bauer was born Jan. 17, 1888 on a farm in Campbell county, where his parents had homesteaded. Later his dad bought a farm one mile southeast of Eureka, where he grew up and attended grade school. In 1900 he was put in charge of the farm and his dad went to Java and started the first store, in partnership with Hoff & Stoller. The store was named Bauer, Hoff and Stoller. The post office was also housed in this store for a few years. Later the farm was rented out and the family moved to Java. In 1908, John went west and filed claim on a homestead near White Butte, but remained there only a year before he returned to Java. John, his dad and brother Fred bought the Hoff & Stoller partnership and named the store Bauer and Sons. On April 20, 1912, John married Lillian Heerwald and to this couple two children were born: Duane, born Jan. 23, 1914 married Dagney Nelson. The Duane Bauer family now reside in Savanna, Ill. Irene, born Aug. 30, 1913, married Leonard Rickard and they are living in Provo, South Dakota. The John Bauer family were faithful members of the Reformed church. John remained working in the store and also did some crop farming on the Bauer farm. After the death of his wife, Lillian, he remarried. On Dec. 9, 1919, John married Lydia Fiechtner, who was born Jan. 26, 1902 on a farm three miles east of Java, where she grew up and at- tended grade school for four years. Lydia went to Mobridge to work and also attended school there, but later quit school and went to work full time, until she got married. John and Lydia had four children. One son, LaVerne, born May 22, 1922, served his country in World War II? as a Flight Officer and Pilot of a B-29, and was killed in China in 1944. A daughter, Marjorie (Mrs. Herbert Buechler), born Jan. 28, 1924, is teaching in the Bowdle school and lives on a farm north of Bowdle. Della, (Mrs. Julian Ackerman), born June 19, 1926, taught school at Wessington Springs, Webster, Herreid and Oceanside, Calif. They now reside at Harlingen, Texas. Delores, (Mrs. Harvey Teske), born March 4, 1928, was employed at Daytons in Minneapolis, and taught school for one year before she was married. She passed away in 1968 in Aberdeen. The Bauer family have 13 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. John was owner and operator of Bauer and Sons until 1960 when he passed away. Lydia remained living in Java, where she still resides. She was a life long member of the St. Pauls Lutheran Church, became a member of the Ladies Aid in 1945, now the A.L.C.W., and served four years as local group chairman of India Missions and two years as group chair- man. She was appointed District Group Chairman of North and South Dakota, where she served for two years and also was a charter member of the Church Altar Guild, which was organized in 1960 and is still a member."