Barbara Lea (Reichel) Baus, 93, La Crosse, Kansas, passed away Saturday, February 15, 2025, at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas.
Barbara was born on a farm northeast of Bison, Kansas, on September 19, 1931, the daughter of Henry and Esther (Foos) Reichel. Barbara always said she bounced into the world, as her mom worked in the field with a tractor that day.
Barbara grew up learning how to work. She and her brother, Caroll, were 14 months apart, therefore they learned how to work before they played. Caroll passed away in 1950.
Electricity, TV, radio, air conditioning, and fans were not part of their lives.
Her dad won a radio in 1935 when Humburgs had a drawing. Needless to say, they had their ears glued to the radio at night. Of course, the radio was battery run.
They also did not have an indoor bathroom, oh the wonderful feel of an outhouse! A wash tub in the wash house was their bathtub. The kids took a bath in the same water and only used it once a week. In the summertime their dad made a shower house with a barrel for water on top. The sun would heat the water, and the bath felt so good.
Each one of the kids had chores to do.
Barbara’s younger brother, Arnold Neal, came along in 1935.
Barbara remembers her dad using horses and a hay wagon to put up alfalfa and wheat straw. She couldn’t remember the tractor her mom worked with on the day she was born, but she does remember when her dad got a new McCormick Deering tractor. It had lug wheels and an iron seat that you didn’t sit on, because it jarred your body too much and you would have round holes imprinted on your behind.
Barbara had to feed the chickens, help milk cows, help separate the milk and carry 5-gallon buckets in each hand across the yard to slop the pigs. Barbara’s job was also to wash the separator. All of this had to be done before she and her brother walked ½ mile across the field to school.
Barbara went to Pleasant Valley District #53 school for seven years. When her brother, Caroll, went to high school, Barbara finished 8th grade at Bison Grade School, Bison, Kansas.
Barbara attended Bison High School, Bison, Kanas. In those “good old days”, girls wore dresses or skirts, boys wore casual pants, no jeans.
Barbara graduated in May, 1949. The night was dreary and rainy. The electricity had gone out, so they used barn lanterns for light.
Barbara played softball and basketball. No school had a girls basketball team, so the girls played B-team boys. Barbara always thought the girls had an edge, as the boys were afraid to touch them. All their games were played during school time. When Barbara was a junior, the boys played their games at night.
After graduating from high school, Barbara worked at the Ben Franklin Store in La Crosse, Kansas. She stayed at a home in town, where she had only one bedroom. It cost $5.00 a week. Barbara earned a little over $24.00 a week. She spent $1.00 a day for food and still put $10.00 away for savings. She worked from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Bill rolled into Barbara’s life one Saturday night. They met in the bowling alley. They dated for 3 ½ years, and were married on September 9, 1951, at the Methodist Church in Bison, Kansas.
Barbara moved to Bill's farm, northeast of Alexander, Kansas, where she continued to still do the chores she did before.
Bill had three jobs plus his farming. When he had to be on a job, Barbara had to do the field work, no umbrella or cab. They ate a lot of dirt when they were in the field. Barbara helped harvest but would never run the combine. She drove the tractor to pull it. When self-propelled combines came into view, Bill and Barbara bought one. She ran the pickup and truck, no lift, to get the grain to the elevator or to shovel the wheat into a bin.
When Bill and Barbara were blessed with Janet in 1952, Debra in 1957, and Mark in 1960, it made for more planning to get everything done.
Electricity didn’t get to their farm until 1953. They had a 120-volt light plant for lights.
When Janet went to high school, Barbara started working in town. She worked at Galen’s Men’s Wear. Then in 1970, she started working at L & W Implement & car dealership as a secretary. Later she worked at the appraiser’s office in the courthouse for eight years. She served on the Farm Bureau Board for 17 years.
Bill and Barbara were sponsors for “The Up With People” sing out, America Young people from Rush County. She belonged to the EHU group at Alexander, Kansas, the Review Club, Sorority organization at McCracken, Kansas, and was on the Rush County Health Board & Extension Board.
Bill and Barbara went to the Lutheran Church in La Crosse, Kansas, when it was moved from the country church northeast of Alexander, Kansas, in 1953. They were Luther League sponsors for young people, sang in the church choir, and were involved in the Women of the Church until they were no longer able to function. Barbara was a substitute organist for many years, then organist for 17 years until she retired in 2016. She also served on the church board nine years.
Barbara started baking wedding cakes in 1954 and made cakes and catered for 64 years.
Barbara made many quilts. One year she embroidered 13 sets of tea towels for her family. She also made many crochet afghans.
Barbara sang at many weddings and funerals until her vocal cords were damaged by coughing.
In 2010 Bill and Barbara moved to McCracken, Kansas, after she had a heart attack in 2009 and Bill lost his leg in 2007.
Bill passed away in 2018 and Barbara moved to La Crosse, Kansas, in 2019.
Barbara was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents, Henry and Esther Reichel; and her brothers, Caroll and Arnold Neal.
Survivors include: two daughters, Janet Hayes (Ted), Wichita, Kansas, and Debra Schuckman (Myron), Wichita, Kansas; one son, Mark Baus (Ann), La Crosse, Kansas; 10 grandchildren, Celi Jensby (Matt), Chad Warner (Cissi), Cari Palesano (Jeremy), Casey Warner (Robin), Christopher Schuckman (Katie), Carissa Schuckman (Jordan), Caley Clinkscales (Daniel), Veronica Kimple (Daniel), Leah Johnson (Nick) and Olivia Baus; 21 great grand children and one great great grandchild.
Barbara made many friends from childhood to her time of death. She saw plenty of water over and under a bridge. She also remembers her great grandfather Schwindt and her great grandfather Krug.
All of her ancestors came from Germany via Ellis Island.
Visitation will be Friday, March 7, 2025, from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the Janousek Funeral Home, La Crosse, Kansas. A prayer service will be at 7:30 P.M.
Church visitation will be Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 9:00 A.M. to 9:50 A.M. at the First Lutheran Church, La Crosse, Kansas.
Funeral service will be Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 10:00 A.M. at the First Lutheran Church, La Crosse, Kansas, with Pastor Phyllis Burdge officiating.
Interment will be Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 2:00 P.M. in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery in the country, three miles northeast of Alexander, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers or plants, the family request memorials to the First Lutheran Church, La Crosse, Kansas, or the McCracken Public Library, McCracken, Kansas.
Condolences or remembrances may be left for the family at www.janousekfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements were by Janousek Funeral Home, 719 Pine Street, PO Box 550, La Crosse, Kansas 67548, 785-222-2517.