Kathryn "Katie" Marie (Rohrich) Bauer

PLEASE NOTE DATE OF SERVICE CHANGE

Kathryn “Katie” Bauer

Kathryn was born on December 1, 1923 on the family farm in Napoleon, North Dakota. She was the 7th child of 14 children of John and Johanna (Bitz) Rohrich.

Kathryn grew up in Napoleon and graduated from Napoleon High School in 1941.

During the war, she earned a teaching license to teach in rural North Dakota for the war years. Every morning she would go to the one room school house early to start the coal stove for heat and to boil potatoes for student lunches. There was no electricity or plumbing in the drafty building.  

Her future husband, Walter Bauer, was in Europe in the U.S. Army. They were married upon his return from the war on August 17, 1946. They purchased a farm in Steele, North Dakota, and raised 4 children: Susan, Charles, Donald, and Carol. Walter died in 1998. They were married for 52 years. 

Katie was an avid daily reader of the Minneapolis Tribune and subscribed to the local weekly papers such as the Monticello Times, and her hometown papers from Napoleon, and Steele, North Dakota. She was well versed in the political scene at both the state and national levels, and religiously followed her Minnesota Twins, Timberwolves, and Lynx teams. Katie famously was a sender of cards to her grandchildren, her family, and her friends. She continued to do all of this as she approached her 100th birthday. 

Kathryn was an active member in St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Steele. She continued her strong spiritual faith upon moving to Monticello in 1995, by joining Saint Henry Catholic Church. After her husband’s death, she lived independently in her own apartment and at St. Benedict’s Community of Monticello right up to her passing. 

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband Walter; and son Donald.

Survivors include sister Mary Ann of Las Vegas, Nevada; children Susan (Mike) Benedetto, Charles (Yvette) Bauer, and Carol (Gary) Smith all of Monticello; daughter-in-law Delphine Bauer of Big Lake, MN; 10 grandchildren; and 13 grandchildren.

Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 2, 2023 with visitation 1 hour prior to Mass at St. Henry Catholic Church, 1001 E. 7th Street, Monticello, MN. Memorials preferred to the Monticello Food Shelf or St. Henry’s Church Gardens.

Serving the family is the Peterson-Grimsmo Funeral Chapel of Monticello, MN 763-295-2918. (www.peterson-grimsmochapel.com)

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Kathryn "Katie" Marie (Rohrich) Bauer, please visit our floral store.