On Oct. 20, 1925, Donna (Sundberg) Bauer was born and began what would become a long, busy, and full life.
She will celebrate her 100th birthday Monday, and recently reflected on her life and how things have changed over the years.
Growing up in Polk, a small town of about 350 that sits along Highway 66 east of Hordville, Bauer, her two siblings, and parents lived across the street from the school and park.
Living on the edge of town, their home had electricity, running water, and a telephone. Instead of a refrigerator, they had an icebox; big blocks of ice were delivered each week, which the family then placed in the base of the box to help keep foods cold.
Instead of a television, the family had a large radio that played soap operas and other shows, such as the Speed Gibson show.
Saturday nights meant the Hit Parade on the radio, when the Top 10 Tunes of the week were played.
When the weather shifted toward winter, they had a coal furnace in the basement.
A delivery service would shovel coal through a window shoot in the basement, which her dad then fed into the furnace.
For a long time, until her brother and sister were born, their home was one-story. When their need for more room arose, they built a second floor.
The home is still in the family, as Bauer’s nephew owns and lives in it currently.
With a history of living in Polk— her dad was 9 or 10 years old when the town was built—the family secured a livelihood in the once-booming town.
Her parents owned the Sundberg’s Hardware Store, which stayed open through their passing due to Bauer’s sister purchasing it. Their business sat alongside a big hotel and the Strand Lumber Yard, among other businesses.
Bauer grew up near her cousins, so many days were spent playing at the park. Bauer said they’d play Mark the Arrow or Punch the Pumpkin.
Every Wednesday, there was a concert in the bandstand in town; Bauer played a trombone in the band. These concerts were a town-wide event, with full cars pulling up to listen to the music.
While in high school, WWII began. She graduated from Polk High School in 1943, and then attended Wesleyan University.
Her first summer at Wesleyan, she and a friend went to work in Grand Island at the Ordinance Plant, painting lines on bombs.
During her time at college, she’d come home on the weekends, riding the three-car train from Lincoln, which stopped in Polk at the time.
After graduation from Wesleyan, Bauer began teaching in Polk, that is, until a man named Mr. Krantz, superintendent at Sutton Public School, came to the school needing a firstgrade teacher.
After talking to her dad, Bauer made the decision to teach at Sutton in 1947.
It was in Sutton where Donna met Gene Bauer, a serviceman who had just come home in 1948, and was taken by his brother to choir practice at the Federated Church.
After that meeting, they began dating and got married in 1950, and purchased their current home in 1953.
Donna taught several grades, including first, second, and third grades, kindergarten, and elementary music. She was also a substitute teacher in Sutton and Clay Center.
During this time, the schools did not provide lunches, so students either went home for lunch or teachers walked with their students to the auditorium (where the current Sutton Community Center is), to eat, and then go back to the school for recess.
Donna also mentioned the operettas that students would put on. While some students rehearsed on stage, other students brought their homework, waiting for their turn to be on stage.
Eventually, when the former school moved on top of the hill, she served as an aide to Doris Fischer in Chapter 1. Donna retired in 1987.
Donna remembered Sutton having a lot of military activity during those earlier times, due to the Harvard and Fairmont Bases.
Also at this time, the lumber yard sold eggs, and there was a light plant where Barbee’s Vet Clinic currently sits.
Much like Polk, Sutton was booming with activity and many different businesses than towns have now.
Through the years, one thing Donna mentioned has been the biggest change is the advancements in technology and medicine.
In her lifetime, things went from no TVs or refrigerators, to smart watches and AI. During surgeries, such as removing a kidney, resulted in a large scar on the abdomen. Now, surgery results are a couple of small incisions and hardly any invasion of surgical tools.
Still living in the home Gene and she bought together, Donna said she gets along well enough, especially with a lot of help from family. She’s lived in the home by herself since Gene moved to the nursing home for a couple of years, and then passed away in 2018.
When her kids cook, they save a portion of the meal for Donna to put in her freezer for when she wants it.
“I have supper in 40 seconds; my fridge is full,” she said.
When it comes to having her vision, mostly good hearing, and being able to walk—with the help of her walker—Donna attributes it to a lifetime of keeping busy and staying active.
She added that she tried to eat well and didn’t smoke or drink.
Each day, she receives a call from one of her kids or grandkids, and keeping in touch helps too. She also tries her best to avoid falls.
“When I think about being 100, it’s old,” Donna said. “But some things feel like they happened yesterday.”
Donna Bauer looks through a photo album full of older photos from her childhood. ASHLEY D SWANSON | CLAY COUNTY NEWS
