August ‘Augie’ Baumeister, 90, Burlington, died Dec. 22, 2012, at Waterford Senior Living Center. He was born Dec. 11, 1922, to the late Charles and Anna (Willick) Baumeister in the Town of Rochester.
His early life was spent in Rochester helping out on the family farm. He attended St. Thomas Grade School and graduated from Rochester Agricultural School.
On June 24, 1948, he married Ethelyn ‘Lynn’ Hosek at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Geranium, Neb. Following marriage, they resided in Burlington. She preceded him in death.
He served in the U.S. Army as a T4 finance clerk in the 1st Chair Borne Division at Camp McCoy. He owned and operated Augie’s Excavating Company for more than 30 years, which has now been in the family for three generations.
He was very active in his community and church. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, a past president of the Burlington Lions Club, a past president of St. Mary’s Athletic Association and a member of the Burlington Liars Club. Among some of his volunteer projects, he was instrumental in building the Burlington Swimming Pool, Veterans Building, and the picnic shelter at McCanna Park. He never missed working at the annual Lions chicken barbecue. One of Augie’s major volunteer projects and one he took much pride in was the St. Mary’s Athletic Field. He donated endless hours after work and on weekends making the Topper Bowl an outstanding athletic field.
He loved to travel. He had been in almost every state and had toured Canada, Mexico and his big trip to Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Switzerland. Besides traveling, he enjoyed hunting and fishing. One of his favorite memories was his pheasant hunting trips to Nebraska. For this he won an honorable mention for the lie he submitted ‘Tale of Pheasant Hunting in Nebraska,’ “After 3 or 4 weeks of the pheasant season, the birds get wild and flush a long way ahead. It takes a good shot to bring them down,” he wrote. This year I solved the problem though. I mixed salt with the shot to preserve the bird while I made the long walk to retrieve it.”
Survivors include his children, Dave (Shirley) Baumeister, Burlington, Laurie (Ron) Leach, Adams, Carol (Brett) Smith, Frederick, Colo.; grandchildren, Bart Baumeister, Bridget (Craig) Stillman, Keith (Julie) Leach, Sara (Adam) Gleiss, Andy (Valerie) Sweet, Ben Sweet, Meghan (Matt) Ghiloni; great-grandchildren, Ada and Sam Stillman, Gavin Leach, Natalie Sweet, Ashlynn Ghiloni.
Visitation is Friday, Dec. 28, from 10:30 a.m., until time of memorial Mass at noon, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Good Shepherds Chapel. The Rev. Jim Volkert will officiate. A private burial will take place in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Schuette-Daniels Family Funeral Home & Crematory, Burlington, is serving the family.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the entire staff at Waterford Senior Living Center, Dawn of Gentiva Hospice for their excellent care of dad.
In Lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Catholic Central Athletic Association.
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