Bahr to turn 104 on Oct. 20

Bea Bahr still marvels at the fact she has no pain at the age of almost 104. The Kittson Healthcare Nursing Home resident will celebrate her birthday on Monday, Oct. 20. She still loves being social and having her nails done, and one thing Bahr often asks is, “Are you ready to play some cards?”
The Lancaster native was born in a log cabin her grandfather built, 3 miles south of town. Her parents were Adolph and Freda Hoglin, and she had six siblings – Andy, Ken, Olive, Verna, June and Gerdis. Bahr was the second oldest child and has many fond memories of her childhood. She said their home was humble and the kids never fought. They attended a nearby one-room schoolhouse through eighth grade, and then attended Lancaster’s high school. Bahr graduated in 1939 and went into nursing as a licensed practical nurse. She eventually went to Seattle with two nursing friends where they found the hospital to be “not what they expected.”
This is where Bahr and her friends found work at Boeing making planes during World War II. She became a mechanic after telling her interviewers she knew the difference between a hammer and a screwdriver. When she found out the male mechanics were paid $1 more an hour than the women, she talked to her union representative, which resulted in getting the same wage as men and a retroactive payment to make up for the lost wages.
Bahr eventually came home and in 1948, she married Earl Bahr. The two met at a dance in Halma. They raised their children – Janice, Vernon and Julie – on the farm by Humboldt. She loved playing cards with her children after supper or during an afternoon break, and helping them with 4-H projects and demonstrations. She also enjoyed their trips together to Lake of the Woods or Mount Rushmore. Vernon and his wife Judy still live on and work the family farm.
Bahr has enjoyed having an active social life since moving to Hallock, and definitely has retained her sense of humor throughout her life. She counts her cards in Swedish as they’re being dealt out, and when something wasn’t designed well, she’d ask, “What man designed that?!”

Bottom: BEA BAHR, who turns 104 on Oct. 20, still loves playing cards with friends at Kittson Healthcare Nursing Home in Hallock. TOP: BEA BAHR as a senior in high school at Lancaster. (Submitted photos)