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Monthly Newsletter
Vol. 12  Issue 7
Patriots of America Mark Bauer Grave
A
bout 250 years
were married. During their
ago, on May 20,
years together, Michael and
1752, in a town
Elizabeth had 11 children.
near
Nine of their children lived to
Philadelphia, George and
adulthood.
Helen Bauer gave birth to
In the decade of 1790,
Michael Bauer. As a young
Michael and Elizabeth Bauer
man, Michael Bauer assisted
and their family resided in
in establishing American
Clay County, Kentucky.
independence as a private in
Elizabeth Bauer died at the
the Revolutionary War.
age of 75 on September 20,
Philadelphia was our
1831, in Clay County,
nation’s capital in 1775 when
Kentucky. Michael Bauer
Michael Bauer served on a
died five months later on
company of Philadelphia City
February 10, 1832, also in
guards under Captain Samuel
Clay County, Kentucky. He
Benton. Records show that
was almost 80 years old at
Michael Bauer
the time of his
fought at the
death.
As a young man,
Battle of Brant
Elizabeth
Michael
Bauer
assisted
in 1777, and he
and Michael
in establishing American
was wounded in
Bauer
were
independence.
that battle.
put to rest on
In 1778 at
a farm called
the age of 26, Michael
Hawks Valley. Their son-inmarried Elizabeth Joust, who
law, Jonathan Golden, owned
also came from Philadelphia.
the farm. He was married to
Elizabeth’s father had the
Mary Ann Bauer, who was
first piano factory in the
the third daughter of Michael
United States. Elizabeth was
and Elizabeth Bauer. As time
a fine performer on the piano
and generations passed, the
and had a magnificent voice.
little cemetery eventually was
She sang and played the
forgotten.
piano to show the instrument
to would-be purchasers.
Article continues on page 2…
Elizabeth was 22 years
old when she and Michael
LUNCHEON
All POA members are
invited to a luncheon to
honor all new officers of the
Illinois state POA. The
luncheon will begin at noon
on Saturday, July 26, at the
Radcliff Tower Resort in
Bloomington, Illinois.
If you plan to attend,
please RSVP to Mrs. Polly
Stenzel, 156 Juniper Road,
Cambridge, Illinois, 61238.
Include your check for
$15.00 payable to the Illinois
State POA.
PATRIOT WEEK
The second week of
September is Patriot Week. It
is fitting and proper to accord
official recognition to all
patriots during this time.
POA SAVER CARD
All POA members will
receive a POA saver card in
the mail. Members can use
these cards for 10- to 20percent discounts at retail
stores, restaurants, and hotels
across the country.
PATRIOT JOURNAL
Vol. 12  Issue 7
Monthly Newsletter
Patriots of America Mark Bauer Grave
250 YEARS LATER
Until about one and a half
years ago, no one knew
exactly where Michael Bauer
was buried – just that it was
somewhere in Clay County.
The sad reality was that he
was buried in an abandoned
cemetery. Filled with years of
overgrowth, the cemetery
barely was visible.
On November 9, 1999,
more than 150 years after
Michael Bauer died, his fifth
great grandson, Mr. Robert
Matthews, located the Golden
Cemetery. While trudging
through dense weeds that
were more than six feet high,
he stumbled onto Michael
and
Elizabeth
Bauer’s
headstones, buried below the
earth and broken in pieces.
During the past year and
a half, many dedicated people
have made sure that Michael
and Elizabeth Bauer rest
peacefully once again in
Golden Cemetery. The stone
wall has been rebuilt, the
headstones of Michael and
Elizabeth Bauer have been
restored beautifully, and the
overgrowth in and around the
cemetery has been removed.
On September 13, 2003,
Patriots of America (POA)
members, family, and guests
arrived at Golden Cemetery
in Clay County, Kentucky, to
mark the grave of American
Revolutionary War Soldier
Michael Bauer.
Mrs. Gloria Fleck, regent
of the Briar Hills chapter
POA, was the master of
ceremonies for the grave
marking and dedication.
The
ceremony
began
with
the
presentation
of
colors by the
American
Legion Post
41 from Clay
County,
Kentucky.
Mr.
Robert Matthews, fifth great
grandchild of Michael Bauer,
led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mr. Thomas Hilton, historian
of the Kentucky state POA,
offered the invocation.
The Honorable Gene
O’Hara, Clay County judge,
welcomed guests to the
county. Mr. Lyle Swanson,
regent of the Illinois state
POA presented opening
remarks. Mrs. Wilma Lutz,
recording secretary of the
Kentucky state POA, gave
remarks on behalf of Mrs.
Caroline Bettendorf, regent
of the Kentucky state POA,
who was hospitalized that
morning for observation.
Ms. Evelyn Wallace,
historic site monitor of the
Washington
House
and
president of the Washington
Historical Society, spoke
about the historical meaning
of this event. The featured
Family
Friends
Clay County Trucking
Many
people,
companies,
and groups
helped
make this
event a
success.
Clay County Resort Park
American Legion Post 41
Anderson Gravel Company
John Myers Sign Company
speaker was Dr. Jack Elm,
vice president general of the
central district POA.
Mrs.
Gloria
Fleck
expressed thanks to those
who contributed to this event.
Mrs. Eve Schmidt, sixth great
granddaughter of Michael
Bauer, delivered the eulogy.
Her children, Jackie and
Ricky Schmidt, seventh great
grandchildren of Michael
Bauer, laid wreaths on the
graves of Michael and
Elizabeth Bauer. Members of
the POA led the dedication
and unveiled the marker. Mr.
Lyle Swanson offered the
benediction.
The ceremony ended with
the volley, led by Mr.
William Davidson of the
American Legion Post 41,
and taps. A buffet reception
followed at Clay County
Resort Park.