Shirley Grassman Bauman was born in Alliance Nebraska on May 15, 1922. She passed away on May 3rd just before her 100th birthday in Grand Junction, Colorado. She carried her spirit and sense of humor to the end. We loved her for that and the caring and adventuresome raising she and our father gave us. Shirley grew up during the Great Depression and rolled bandages at the Red Cross for “our boys overseas”. She was a majorette for the Alliance High state champion marching band in 1936 and was the first majorette at the University of Wyoming. She married Dr. B. G. Bauman on January 1, 1945 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Together they raised four children, Geoff, Paul, Gretchen and Molly, begetting 8 grand children and three great grandchildren.
Shirley lived in Alliance for 88 years and was a member of the Holy Rosary Catholic church, Chapter AH of the PEO women’s organization and was an election judge. She proudly hung out the flag for national holidays and is remembered as friendly, caring and humble. She also had a gift for conversation and “always made people feel better.” We kids loved it when our parents had a party. Women wore dresses, men coats and ties and discussed events of the day or played badminton in the back yard. We lived across from the Fountain and on summer nights, music from the High School band floated on the breeze from the band shell. She was a wonderful and giving mother, one of the last of her generation.
Memorials can be sent to the Prairie Haven Hospice, 2409 Box Butte in Alliance,
or Hope West, 2754 Compass Dr. #377, Grand Junction CO 81506.