June 28, 1931 - October 1, 2018

Laura Jane Van Guilder, age 87, a lifelong resident of Spooner, died on Monday, October 1, 2018, at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire.

Laura was born on June 28, 1931, in Spooner, to parents Joseph and Laura (Christy) Palmer.  She attended and graduated from the Spooner Schools.  While attending High School, she worked at the Red Cross Pharmacy.  She was united in marriage to Donald Bauer in 1949, and remained so until his death in 1970.   She was then united in marriage in 1974 to Lowell Van Guilder and remained so until his death in 2009.   She lived most of her adult life being a caregiver and homemaker for her family, as well as assisting her husband Lowell at their two businesses,  North Country Cheese and Sausage Store, and later Spooner Fish and Cheese.  The couple retired in the late 1990’s after selling the store and enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Laura is survived by her children: Donald Bauer of Spooner, Nancy (Gary) Harlander of Birchwood, Timothy (JoAnn) Bauer of Hawaii, James (Kimberly) Bauer of Spooner, John (Cynthia) Bauer of Stone Lake, Mark (Jaimée Bengs) Bauer of Spooner, step children: Lorie (Bud) Suhr of Bloomer, Joel (Terri) Van Guilder of Spooner, Judy Van Guilder of Chippewa Falls, blessed with a multitude of grandchildren, step grandchildren, great grandchildren, step great grandchildren, half brothers and sisters: Karen Gillis of Spooner, Claire (Steve) Hove of Spooner, Rosemary O’Donahoe, of Eau Claire, Rita (Dean) Janaky of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Richard (Connie) Palmer of Iowa.

Laura is preceded in death by her parents, husbands Donald Bauer and Lowell Van Guilder, step-son Kim Van Guilder, infant grandson David Timothy,  brothers: Donald, Joseph, Lloyd, sisters: Mary, Dorothy, Evelyn, and half-sister Judy. 

Last Update: Dec 16, 2018 5:45 pm CST