Ruth Nadine Bauman

Ruth Nadine Bauman, a partner in farming and in life with her husband Glenn, died at age 101 on Jan. 15, 2025, in Neodesha, Kansas.

Ruth lived most of her life just a half-mile from where she was raised, on a farm west of Neodesha. Born on Sept. 10, 1923, to James and Adeline Cutsinger, Ruth graduated from Neodesha High School in 1941 and took classes at what is now Independence Community College. She met Glenn at a dance in his hometown of Fredonia, and they were smitten.

Glenn was soon drafted into World War II, so Ruth and Glenn’s sister followed him to various Army training bases in California, Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Glenn and Ruth married in Los Angeles on July 3, 1943, with his sister and her fiancé as witnesses. After the men deployed, the sisters-in-law returned to Kansas, and Ruth went to work at the Independence Air Base as a real-life Rosie the Riveter. 

When Glenn returned from the war, they bought land next to Ruth’s parents’ property. There, they farmed and raised four children. Ruth kept the books, drove grain trucks, helped herd and feed livestock, and still managed to be there for her children’s many years of school achievements, performances, and life events. The couple’s spark survived it all: “You’re getting prettier every day,” Glenn told her each morning.

After Glenn’s death in 1992, Ruth continued to play a role in Bauman Farms with son Jim at the helm. When Ruth retired from daily operations, she enjoyed spending time with her family, attending card games and birthday club with friends, and reading the many books that Neodesha’s librarians curated for her. She lived at home until age 98, and then moved to assisted living at Morningstar, where the wonderful nursing staff doted on her until her passing. Ruth was also a long-time member of the First Christian Church of Neodesha.

Ruth is survived and much loved by her children and their families: Cheryl Kreager of Wichita, Jim (Gyda) of Neodesha, Chris (Mary Ann) of Neodesha, and Melissa of Long Beach, Calif..; six grandchildren, Kirk Bauman, Corey Bauman, Derek Kreager, Wendy Southern, Kera Kreager, and Lauren Carver; seven great-grandchildren; and nieces Sue Wilkes of Neodesha and Sherry Baldwin of Chattanooga, Tenn.

Visitation will begin at 1 pm Saturday, Jan. 18, at the First Christian Church of Neodesha, followed by services at 2pm. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the First Christian Church or the W.A. Ranking Memorial Library in Neodesha.