Obituary of Cleon "Beaver" Bauman

“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway” - John Wayne in True Grit

Cleon “Beaver” John Bauman died peacefully on February 08, 2023.  He was surrounded by his loving wife, Roxy, his daughter, Kelli Juneau, and son, Neil Bauman. I think he would have rather died by being in a gun fight with John Wayne, or pushing the edge of the envelope with Chuck Yeager, however, those were not the battles he fought.

“It was a sunny day on June 24, 1938…” -  this is how dad talked about his birth in Wynyard, Saskatchewan, like he remembered it well. He loved his mother, Kristine who passed in 1980.  He has a younger sister, Jackie (Terry) Hurlbut and a predeceased brother Terry (Anne) Bauman.  In his younger days, he left school and his family to “work the rails” in southern Saskatchewan. Even in his youth he loved to work and even though his life was hard, he persevered and was proud to contribute to his family.

He met a pretty little filly named Roxy through his buddy Emile Sebastian.  He and Mom courted and were married on August 21, 1963 in Saskatoon. They moved to Cochrane and then to Red Deer.  Dad had hit the end of the line with the railroad by then and got a job in the bustling oil patch of Alberta with HBOG, Dome Petroleum and Amoco. He started as a roustabout, then operator and eventually up to foreman and although we never really understood what he did he made sure that we knew he was the Pete Rose of the oilfield. He loved his gas plant days and the buddies he worked with in Sylvan Lake, Brazeau (Drayton Valley), Zama (High Level) and then down to Brooks. His job took him away from his family for periods of time but also gave him good stretches at home with us. He was really good at calling his daughter out at home plate (…even though she was safe!) and watching his son, on a breakaway, not score, crash into the boards and have to pick up his boy up off the ice like a wet rag. These memories were often recalled at many family gatherings. He laughed a lot and worked hard to give us all a good life.

He enjoyed baseball, curling, golf, and a good Roughriders game (as if there is such thing as a bad one), loved his movies and would often spew a quote like “sometimes, nothing can be a real cool hand, Luke” during a card game or “come and see a fat old man sometime” when he was saying goodbye to us kids or “put the spurs to ‘er Chuck” when it was time to begin something.  His sense of humour was second to none and his sarcasm ran deep.

After retiring, Mom and Dad spent 30 plus years at Turtle Lake, Sask.  Dad loved the tranquility of his little piece of paradise.  He would putter in his garage which was often the place where the lake people would come if they needed to borrow a tool or such.  He was always up for a brief chat but then carried on.   The visiting with the lake folks was enhanced when Luke The Big Yellow Lab came into his life.  Man, he loved that dog. They would walk each other every day and Luke would bring home another log for the wood stove.  Dad would throw the ball for Luke for hours.  His happiest days were spent at the lake and with his dog.

Once Mom and Dad moved to Saskatoon, Dad’s health deteriorated further, and he entered St. Ann’s Nursing Home.  Living with Alzheimer’s disease is a horrible existence and Beaver suffered from it.  Mom and the great staff at St. Ann’s cared for Dad so well until the end and we are forever grateful for their compassion and guidance.

Dad is survived by his loving (and patient) wife, Roxy, his daughter, Kelli Juneau and her partner, Ernie Petterson, his son, Neil Bauman and his wife Wendy, his grandchildren, Colton (Katrina) Juneau, Morgan (Lane) Juneau, Dillon Juneau, Ethan Bauman, Jamison Bauman, and great-grandsons Emmett and Rhett Daniel-Gies and Beckett Juneau. He will truly be missed by his family and friends.

Dad would have been extremely annoyed at having any muss or fuss so there will not be a funeral.  However, we do ask that you raise a glass of your favourite beverage, recall a happy memory of Beaver, and wish him well.

If you wish to make a donation in Dad’s name, please do so, to the Alzheimers Society of Saskatchewan or St. Ann’s Care Home.

And, as Beaver would say, “Keep ‘er between the ditches.”