Auris Vincent Bair was the fourth child of six born to Forrest Glenn Bair and his first wife, Nora Mae Andersen Bair. Following divorce, Forrest would go on to give Auris four half-siblings with his second wife, Madeline Genau Bair. Nora remarried as well, to Karl Oppenhuisen, but no more children resulted from that marriage.
The 1920 Census was collected one week before Auris was born so he doesn't appear, but he was there. The family was living on Bleyker Street in Kalamazoo. That street is no longer there and was named after Paulus denBleyker, an important Dutch settler.
Auris' full-siblings were, Albert Sylvester, Lauretta Marie, Marian Grace, Ada May and Marjory Aleene. His half-siblings were, Lillian Irene, Robert, Donald and Mary.
1922 shows that the family has moved to Montrose Avenue at Westnedge Avenue.
By 1930, Nora and Forrest were divorced and Nora, Albert, Lauretta, Marian, Auris, Ada and Marjory had moved to 528 East Vine Street and no one in the family was working. Times were hard for the family.
1935 shows the family has moved to 609 Smith Court.
In 1940, Nora was now 46 years old. Albert, Lauretta and Marian had moved on to their own lives. Auris, Ada May and Marjory were living at home with Nora. Auris was 20 years old but had only finished two years of high school. He was working as a printer in a paper mill and earning $1,058 a year. Ada May was 16, had finished 1 year of high school and was listed as a typist, but she showed 0 weeks of work and $0 of income. Majory was 13 but her education level was listed as 0. ?? The family was living at 519 W. Willard Street in 1940.
Auris was a direct descendent of Christopher Bair, the third pioneer to stake a claim in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Auris graduated from the Salvation Army Training College in Chicago. Family lore says that when he gave the valedictorian speech, a young woman in the balcony said, "That's the man I'm going to marry!" Following graduation, he was assigned as a lieutenant to serve at a corp in Peoria, Illinois where that same young woman was also serving. Her name was Olive Margaret Thomas, daughter of Salvation Army Lt. Colonel Alexander Small Thomas and Lt. Colonel Mrs. Myrtle Lydia White Thomas.
Auris and Olive both entered the United States military service during WWII. He served as a photo lithographer, TEC3 in the US Army, participating in the invasion of Normandy and serving in five different war zones.
Olive did indeed know her heart and on June 15, 1946, she and Auris were married. The couple resided in Kalamazoo, Michigan where Auris continued his education by attending Western State Teachers College. Later, he was a Bible teacher of adult Sunday school classes at Bethel Baptist Church.
Auris and Olive would become the parents of five children, Ann M, Richard E, Susan E, Thomas A, and Jack Douglas.
Auris was a Kalamazoo City assessor for a number of years and was an active member in the Kalamazoo area VFW posts.
Musically talented, Auris played and soloed in several different bands as an exceptional euphonium player. When he was younger, he was able to play a duet with two trumpets at once. He also had a pilot's license and later started skydiving at the age of 53. Healthy and adventurous, he bought his first motorcycle at the age of 70!
Auris and Olive were married for 53 years before she preceded him in death, when she was 77, in May of 1999.
Auris would continue on for another 10 years surrounded by active, loving family, including another family that was very special to him; the Solomon's.
He passed away at the age of 89, in June of 2009.
The 1920 Census was collected one week before Auris was born so he doesn't appear, but he was there. The family was living on Bleyker Street in Kalamazoo. That street is no longer there and was named after Paulus denBleyker, an important Dutch settler.
Auris' full-siblings were, Albert Sylvester, Lauretta Marie, Marian Grace, Ada May and Marjory Aleene. His half-siblings were, Lillian Irene, Robert, Donald and Mary.
1922 shows that the family has moved to Montrose Avenue at Westnedge Avenue.
By 1930, Nora and Forrest were divorced and Nora, Albert, Lauretta, Marian, Auris, Ada and Marjory had moved to 528 East Vine Street and no one in the family was working. Times were hard for the family.
1935 shows the family has moved to 609 Smith Court.
In 1940, Nora was now 46 years old. Albert, Lauretta and Marian had moved on to their own lives. Auris, Ada May and Marjory were living at home with Nora. Auris was 20 years old but had only finished two years of high school. He was working as a printer in a paper mill and earning $1,058 a year. Ada May was 16, had finished 1 year of high school and was listed as a typist, but she showed 0 weeks of work and $0 of income. Majory was 13 but her education level was listed as 0. ?? The family was living at 519 W. Willard Street in 1940.
Auris was a direct descendent of Christopher Bair, the third pioneer to stake a claim in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Auris graduated from the Salvation Army Training College in Chicago. Family lore says that when he gave the valedictorian speech, a young woman in the balcony said, "That's the man I'm going to marry!" Following graduation, he was assigned as a lieutenant to serve at a corp in Peoria, Illinois where that same young woman was also serving. Her name was Olive Margaret Thomas, daughter of Salvation Army Lt. Colonel Alexander Small Thomas and Lt. Colonel Mrs. Myrtle Lydia White Thomas.
Auris and Olive both entered the United States military service during WWII. He served as a photo lithographer, TEC3 in the US Army, participating in the invasion of Normandy and serving in five different war zones.
Olive did indeed know her heart and on June 15, 1946, she and Auris were married. The couple resided in Kalamazoo, Michigan where Auris continued his education by attending Western State Teachers College. Later, he was a Bible teacher of adult Sunday school classes at Bethel Baptist Church.
Auris and Olive would become the parents of five children, Ann M, Richard E, Susan E, Thomas A, and Jack Douglas.
Auris was a Kalamazoo City assessor for a number of years and was an active member in the Kalamazoo area VFW posts.
Musically talented, Auris played and soloed in several different bands as an exceptional euphonium player. When he was younger, he was able to play a duet with two trumpets at once. He also had a pilot's license and later started skydiving at the age of 53. Healthy and adventurous, he bought his first motorcycle at the age of 70!
Auris and Olive were married for 53 years before she preceded him in death, when she was 77, in May of 1999.
Auris would continue on for another 10 years surrounded by active, loving family, including another family that was very special to him; the Solomon's.
He passed away at the age of 89, in June of 2009.
Auris Vincent Bair was the fourth child of six born to Forrest Glenn Bair and his first wife, Nora Mae Andersen Bair. Following divorce, Forrest would go on to give Auris four half-siblings with his second wife, Madeline Genau Bair. Nora remarried as well, to Karl Oppenhuisen, but no more children resulted from that marriage.
The 1920 Census was collected one week before Auris was born so he doesn't appear, but he was there. The family was living on Bleyker Street in Kalamazoo. That street is no longer there and was named after Paulus denBleyker, an important Dutch settler.
Auris' full-siblings were, Albert Sylvester, Lauretta Marie, Marian Grace, Ada May and Marjory Aleene. His half-siblings were, Lillian Irene, Robert, Donald and Mary.
1922 shows that the family has moved to Montrose Avenue at Westnedge Avenue.
By 1930, Nora and Forrest were divorced and Nora, Albert, Lauretta, Marian, Auris, Ada and Marjory had moved to 528 East Vine Street and no one in the family was working. Times were hard for the family.
1935 shows the family has moved to 609 Smith Court.
In 1940, Nora was now 46 years old. Albert, Lauretta and Marian had moved on to their own lives. Auris, Ada May and Marjory were living at home with Nora. Auris was 20 years old but had only finished two years of high school. He was working as a printer in a paper mill and earning $1,058 a year. Ada May was 16, had finished 1 year of high school and was listed as a typist, but she showed 0 weeks of work and $0 of income. Majory was 13 but her education level was listed as 0. ?? The family was living at 519 W. Willard Street in 1940.
Auris was a direct descendent of Christopher Bair, the third pioneer to stake a claim in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Auris graduated from the Salvation Army Training College in Chicago. Family lore says that when he gave the valedictorian speech, a young woman in the balcony said, "That's the man I'm going to marry!" Following graduation, he was assigned as a lieutenant to serve at a corp in Peoria, Illinois where that same young woman was also serving. Her name was Olive Margaret Thomas, daughter of Salvation Army Lt. Colonel Alexander Small Thomas and Lt. Colonel Mrs. Myrtle Lydia White Thomas.
Auris and Olive both entered the United States military service during WWII. He served as a photo lithographer, TEC3 in the US Army, participating in the invasion of Normandy and serving in five different war zones.
Olive did indeed know her heart and on June 15, 1946, she and Auris were married. The couple resided in Kalamazoo, Michigan where Auris continued his education by attending Western State Teachers College. Later, he was a Bible teacher of adult Sunday school classes at Bethel Baptist Church.
Auris and Olive would become the parents of five children, Ann M, Richard E, Susan E, Thomas A, and Jack Douglas.
Auris was a Kalamazoo City assessor for a number of years and was an active member in the Kalamazoo area VFW posts.
Musically talented, Auris played and soloed in several different bands as an exceptional euphonium player. When he was younger, he was able to play a duet with two trumpets at once. He also had a pilot's license and later started skydiving at the age of 53. Healthy and adventurous, he bought his first motorcycle at the age of 70!
Auris and Olive were married for 53 years before she preceded him in death, when she was 77, in May of 1999.
Auris would continue on for another 10 years surrounded by active, loving family, including another family that was very special to him; the Solomon's.
He passed away at the age of 89, in June of 2009.
The 1920 Census was collected one week before Auris was born so he doesn't appear, but he was there. The family was living on Bleyker Street in Kalamazoo. That street is no longer there and was named after Paulus denBleyker, an important Dutch settler.
Auris' full-siblings were, Albert Sylvester, Lauretta Marie, Marian Grace, Ada May and Marjory Aleene. His half-siblings were, Lillian Irene, Robert, Donald and Mary.
1922 shows that the family has moved to Montrose Avenue at Westnedge Avenue.
By 1930, Nora and Forrest were divorced and Nora, Albert, Lauretta, Marian, Auris, Ada and Marjory had moved to 528 East Vine Street and no one in the family was working. Times were hard for the family.
1935 shows the family has moved to 609 Smith Court.
In 1940, Nora was now 46 years old. Albert, Lauretta and Marian had moved on to their own lives. Auris, Ada May and Marjory were living at home with Nora. Auris was 20 years old but had only finished two years of high school. He was working as a printer in a paper mill and earning $1,058 a year. Ada May was 16, had finished 1 year of high school and was listed as a typist, but she showed 0 weeks of work and $0 of income. Majory was 13 but her education level was listed as 0. ?? The family was living at 519 W. Willard Street in 1940.
Auris was a direct descendent of Christopher Bair, the third pioneer to stake a claim in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Auris graduated from the Salvation Army Training College in Chicago. Family lore says that when he gave the valedictorian speech, a young woman in the balcony said, "That's the man I'm going to marry!" Following graduation, he was assigned as a lieutenant to serve at a corp in Peoria, Illinois where that same young woman was also serving. Her name was Olive Margaret Thomas, daughter of Salvation Army Lt. Colonel Alexander Small Thomas and Lt. Colonel Mrs. Myrtle Lydia White Thomas.
Auris and Olive both entered the United States military service during WWII. He served as a photo lithographer, TEC3 in the US Army, participating in the invasion of Normandy and serving in five different war zones.
Olive did indeed know her heart and on June 15, 1946, she and Auris were married. The couple resided in Kalamazoo, Michigan where Auris continued his education by attending Western State Teachers College. Later, he was a Bible teacher of adult Sunday school classes at Bethel Baptist Church.
Auris and Olive would become the parents of five children, Ann M, Richard E, Susan E, Thomas A, and Jack Douglas.
Auris was a Kalamazoo City assessor for a number of years and was an active member in the Kalamazoo area VFW posts.
Musically talented, Auris played and soloed in several different bands as an exceptional euphonium player. When he was younger, he was able to play a duet with two trumpets at once. He also had a pilot's license and later started skydiving at the age of 53. Healthy and adventurous, he bought his first motorcycle at the age of 70!
Auris and Olive were married for 53 years before she preceded him in death, when she was 77, in May of 1999.
Auris would continue on for another 10 years surrounded by active, loving family, including another family that was very special to him; the Solomon's.
He passed away at the age of 89, in June of 2009.
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