Beverly Jean Bauer

Columbia, S.C.—Beverly Jean Decker Bauer, 79, entered into the presence of the Lord Jesus on March 29th, after dying peacefully in her home.

In His providence, God directed her steps from a rural Pennsylvania farm to mission fields both abroad and here at home with her husband, Vernon L. Bauer, Jr.

The daughter of the late Harry Wayne and Georgia Claire Bard Decker, she grew up on a small dairy farm in Fulton County Pennsylvania and later graduated from Asbury University in Kentucky.

She then married a young pastor/professor and the love of her life, Vernon. God blessed them with two children, and they launched Christian missionary ministries that would take them to Costa Rica and Colombia in the seventies and eighties, preaching and teaching the word of God to seminary students and laypeople.

The Bauers were among the first missionaries supported by what is now Hope Church of Columbia, S.C. (formerly St. Andrews Evangelical Church, formerly World Gospel Church).

During those years in faraway places, Jean became a mentor to many professors’ wives and seminary students, math teacher for missionary children and was the librarian for Seminario Bíblico de Colombia, where Vernon was a professor.

In 1985, the Bauers returned to the Midlands of South Carolina where Vernon served as associate pastor at Hope Church. Together Jean and Vernon led small home groups, and she was involved in women’s Bible studies and teaching children’s Sunday school classes. She also used her artistic talents to decorate the sanctuary for their annual missionary conferences.

In addition, she worked as a postal clerk with the U.S. Postal Service, retiring in 2010 after 23 years.

Jean enjoyed cooking, sewing, chalk drawing presentations, and creating art. She also enjoyed making educational scrapbooks, children’s missionary booklets, picture scrapbooks, and coin and stamp collecting.

Proverbs 31:28-31 Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Vernon L. Bauer, Jr.; her son and daughter-in-law, Vernon W. and Joy Bauer; daughter Joanna L. Bauer; grandson Josiah and granddaughters Kaelen and Elyanna.

She is predeceased by her brother, Arnold Decker. She is survived by her sister-in-law Mary Decker, brother Willis Decker and his wife, Gail, and sister Nancy Pitman.

There will be a memorial service Saturday, April 9, at Hope Church Columbia, 2609 Seminole Rd., Columbia, S.C. 29210. The family will receive visitors beginning at 2:00 p.m. with a service to celebrate her life at 3:00 p.m. The service will be live-streamed at https://hopechurchcola.online.church/. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Hope Church Faith Promise Missions Fund (https://hopechurchcola.org/ccgiving). Obituary: https://www.moseleyfuneralservice.com/listings#pg=0

Her family is grateful to Lou Anne Gibbs, Louise Kerce, the members of Hope Church, and Abbey Road Hospice for their care and help while going through her last days of pilgrimage here.

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