Lossie Jean Morris Bauer,while at her home, left this world Wednesday morning, January 4, 2017,with family members and her cherished dogs at her side.She was born at the Methodist Parsonage, O'Fallon, Illinois in 1928. The daughter of Pauline Jean McCaully Morris and Lossie E.Morris, her father left the ministry in 1936 and moved to Collinsville, IL, to start his business career. Jean attended Collinsville High School and later William Woods College, Fulton, Missouri. Post graduation, Jean attended the Chicago Art Institute.

While attending WilliamWoods she wouldhave a blind date to a Valentine's Dance with Roland R. Bauer Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri . A long distance romance led to an engagement.Roland proposed toJean while sittingon the back porch of her family home, 604 Main St, Collinsville, which is now the enclosed kitchen for the Old Peking Restaurant. Just a little family trivia. The 1950 wedding at Second Presbyterian St. Louiswas followed by a reception at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel's Starlight Room.

Jean would go on to be a wife,mother and homemaker, raising six children in the same home they built in 1953.In addition to family and friends, Jean's interests varied widely throughout the years, from her many dogs and horses to welding sculptures, creating stained glass windows, wood carving and painting.She never lost her artistic interests and talents.

After empty nesting,there weremany small ship intercoastal travels as well as Alaskan, Hawaiian andEuropean tours and also South America,which includedher bucket list trip to theGalapagos Islands.In her later years she was a prolific painter,dividing hertime between Collinsville andher log cabin in the mountains of North Carolina.

Jean issurvived by her six children: Roland R. (Richard Kloeckener) Bauerlll of St. Louis;Rene L. (John D. Nell) Bauer of Alton, IL; Keith G. Bauer of Cashiers, NC; Elizabeth J.L. (Robert A. Showers) Bauer of Alton, IL; Todd E.(Nancy) Bauer of Collinsville, IL; andMelissa J. D. Bauer of St. Louis.Jean was blessed withfive grandchildren:Eric David Nell of San Francisco;Cade Morris Bauer-Showers of Washington, DC;and Zoe Lynne Bauer,McCaully Jean Bauer,and BenjaminEllisBauer of Collinsville, IL. She is also survived by her sister Pamala G. (Gary) Klein of St. Louis, and brothers Charles C. (Nancy) Morris and Leighton Eric (Leslee) Morris of Collinsville.

She was preceded in death by her husband Roland R. Bauer Jr., her parents, Pauline Jean McCaully Morris and Lossie E. Morris; and sisters, Lillie Carol Morris and Betty Lou Morris.

Memorials, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Collinsville Humane Society.

Private family services will be held at a later date.