Jacob Koppel Bauer

Jacob Koppel Bauer passed away Tuesday, February 11, 2020. The funeral will take place at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, February 13, at Congregation Agudath Jacob located at 4925 Hillcrest Drive. Burial will follow at Agudath Jacob Cemetery. Jake was born on May 15, 1921, to Polish immigrants, Benjamin and Reine Bauer. His brave father left Poland to escape the Polish Pogroms and came to America in 1915 with the dire need of earning enough money to bring his family over to begin a new life. His father accomplished this quickly, and the entire family emigrated in 1918. They ended up coming to Waco, where Jake was born two years later. Jake had very fond memories of his father and said he was the sweetest man in the world. When he was a child, his father brought home a candy bar for him every Friday evening, despite having no money. Jake attended Brook Avenue Elementary where he played second base for the Brook Avenue Bulldogs. His athletic career started and ended in the second grade. He grew up in Cameron Park and had a wonderful group of friends that he spent countless hours swimming and playing with in the park. His friends fondly referred to him by his middle name, Koppel. He attended high school at Waco High, where he was a straight A student and graduated at 17 years old. After graduating from Waco High, he attended Baylor University for two semesters while working at a grocery store. When World War II broke out, a close friend of his encouraged him to enlist in the Navy, so he hopped on the Inter-Urban Electric Railway(train) and headed to Fort Worth. When he met with the enlisting officer, he discovered that he had everything he needed except for three letters of recommendation. He told the officer it would be impossible for him to obtain these, as he knew no one who lived in Fort Worth. He had no choice but to get back on the train and head home. While on the train, he began thinking that this must be a sign from G-D that he should wait to enlist, and so he did. One year later, he enlisted and became a medic in the Air Force. He was stationed in England where he was surrounded by the horrors of the war and was very fortunate that he was never thrust into battle. When he finished serving his country, Jake moved to Houston to work with his brother, Willie, in the pipe and metal business. While in Houston, he was introduced to a French girl named Simone Heyman. He remembered seeing her years before when she was very young and they lived in Waco, and he had never forgotten her beautiful face. The timing was perfect now. They fell deeply in love and 3 months later they were married, when she was 19 and he was 29. Soon after, they had their first child, Rick. Three years after they were married, Jake’s father in-law, Henry Heyman, asked him to join him in the meat business that he started a few years earlier. He decided to take him up on the offer, and he and Simone moved back to Waco. Jake knew nothing about the meat business but Henry told him he would learn, and he did. He and Simone worked side by side, growing the business together with his in-laws. During the next phase of his life, he and Simone stayed busy raising four children, Rick, David, Benjy, and Rana. He was a good dad and parented with a tough, old fashioned demeanor. First and foremost, his kids were expected to go to work every day that they weren’t at school. He worked hard and he expected the same work ethic from his children. He was not a very hands-on dad when it came to anything outside of work. His disciplinary approach was, if you ever get in trouble, you better be smart enough to get yourself out of it. One of his favorite sayings was, “you live by the sword, you die by the sword.” Jake loved the meat plant - it was a huge part of who he was. He was an extremely conservative businessman who did not want to make a mistake, and this philosophy helped him make a very good, steady living. When his three sons joined the business, they had many ideas that they wanted to incorporate, but these ideas required risk, and he did not like change. He rarely agreed with them, but he allowed them to transform the business and was very proud of what they accomplished. Jake also loved his synagogue and the Waco Jewish community. He was a member of Congregation Agudath Jacob his entire life, a past President, a board member for many years, and a regular attendee at services. To him, the synagogue was a second home. He also enjoyed being a member of Temple Rodef Sholom. He well understood the importance of having a strong and thriving Jewish community to leave for his grandchildren and great grandchildren. As the years rolled by, Jake and Simone traveled around the world, putting a pin in the giant globe in their study for every new adventure. She chose where they were going and he went. He doted on her and treated her like a queen, never missing a day of serving her breakfast in bed. Her wish was his command. In his 80’s he began doing all of the grocery shopping and he loved this chore. Other than grocery shopping, they did everything together. They worked together, they ate every meal together, they slept together in the same tiny European full-size bed that they got the first day they were married. The bed was so small that they were always touching. He loved her like no other until the day he died. After Simone passed away almost 3 years ago, Jake fought through the various stages of grief. At one point, he tried to will himself to die because he couldn’t bear to live without his little French girl. They both worked at the plant until the day she passed. He was 96 at the time. He only made it to work for about three months after that, but not a day went by that he didn’t ask about cattle numbers and sales at the meat packing plant. Jake loved Simone, his children Rick, David, Benjy, and baby girl, Rana; and adored his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He loved H&B Packing, and he loved his Jewish faith. A special thank you to Helen Chatman who devoted her life to both Jake and Simone. The family would also like to thank his many devoted caregivers who Jake loved and adored: Maria Saenz, Karla Saenz Moreno, Hortencia “Tency” Martinez, Luz Maria Garcia, Lucy Barragan, Mary Tere “Terry” Vento, Nelly Hernandez, Socorro “Coco” Gonzalez, Yolanda “Yola” Ruiz, and Jaqueline “Jackie” Zendejas. They treated him with great care, love, respect, and dignity. We hope Jake is finally where he wanted to be, with Simone sitting on the balcony of a cruise ship holding hands, looking at the beautiful water, toasting “happy trippy” to their long and beautiful lives. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Jewish Federation of Waco and Central Texas, P.O. Box 8031, Waco TX 76704. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.