Category: Family Business

Having written not only one, but two blog posts about my grandfather, the second generation of our family business, literally on the day of his passing, I expected that I would be able to do the same about my dad, who I was blessed to work with almost every day for 19 years, and who passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 24, 2022.

But those words just won’t come – at least not yet.

Thankfully, words DID come at his Celebration of Life service, when we marked his passing with family, friends, church and community. So instead of waiting for what won’t come, I’m going to share here what already has been.

I pray it helps you remember Dad, or, if you weren’t privileged to know him, feel a bit more like you did.

Dad loved telling stories, and so after the service we thought it fitting marked his passing by telling some [...]

Larry N. Baus joined his heavenly Father on November 24, 2022. He was born August 1, 1950 in Wauseon, Ohio, the son of the late Edward D. Baus & Leanna M. (Nofzinger) Baus. A graduate of Archbold High School and Stautzenberger College, Larry was a resident of Archbold for most of his life.

He married his wife of nearly 51 years, T. Eileen Shinabery, on December 25, 1971, and she survives. They were blessed with two sons, Chad (Beth) and Aaron (Marissa), along with four grandsons, Daniel, Levi, Owen and Leo. Larry is also survived by one brother, Gene (Marva) Baus.

Larry enjoyed attending his grandsons’ sporting and musical events.

Larry was thankful to have been able to serve Archbold and our surrounding communities for more than 50 years through the family’s automotive business, Nofzinger Motor [...]

It is impossible to sum up the life of a man who lived for 98 years, 3 months and 21 days in one or two blog posts. Truthfully, a book probably wouldn’t even do the job. But along with my short summary of his upbringing and work career, I wanted to write down a few other thoughts about Grandpa while they are still fresh in my mind.

Although he retired many years before, Grandpa continued to work daily at the family business, right up until 48 hours before he passed away. When we would ask him to do things, he would say “If you ask me to do it, I’ll do it, but if you tell me to do it, I’ll say no!”

Grandpa had a great sense of humor, and he was a bit of a prankster. Often times at work [...]

Edward Daniel Baus, the 2nd generation of our family business, went to be with the Lord today, July 23, 2015.

Grandpa was the first generation of our Baus family to be born in America. He was the son of German Lutheran immigrants who had been living in Donhof, near Saratov, in the Volga River region of Russia. They emigrated to the United States one month before the Titanic disaster to escape religious persecution by the government. Grandpa first learned English when he went to public school in Wauseon, OH.

When Grandpa was 14, he began working on a farm ten miles away from his home – a farm in Burlington, just north of Archbold. He began attending school in Archbold his junior year and met his future wife, Leanna Nofzinger. The couple were married on March 4, 1939. Grandma preceded him in death by [...]