A FEW DAYS AGO while cleaning my office, I came across an obituary I clipped from the local newspaper in late March. Typically, I am not in the habit of saving obits. But this one intrigued me.
You see, the deceased, 78-year-old Harold D. Bauer of Rochester, was one of 11 children born to Lawrence and Leona Bauer. Right about now you’re likely thinking, well, what’s so unusual about that, Audrey? Big families were the norm years ago. You would, of course, be correct in concluding that.
However, the oddity in this family of Bauers is the children’s names. All 11 offspring have names beginning with the letter “H.”
What were those parents thinking?
For anyone who has more than one child, you’ll understand.
While growing up, I could never comprehend how my mom could call me by the wrong name. “Lanae, dust the furniture,” she might say, looking directly at me. Sometimes she realized her mistake; most often not. Given I have five siblings, this name confusion happened frequently. On occasion, my mom even called me by one of my three brother’s names, the ultimate offense in my youthful opinion.
But when I became a mother of more than one, I finally understood just how easy it is to call a child by a sibling’s name. In haste or anger or frustration, I have blurted out the wrong name. And sometimes, my brain is so full of thoughts that the incorrect name simply trips off my tongue.
Now, imagine if you were Lawrence and Leona Bauer, parents of 11 kids with all those “H” names: Harold, Hazel, Hope, Henry, Homer, Haven, Helmer, Harris, Harlow, Herschel and Harriet.
Can you imagine the mix-ups in that household? And what about teachers who had to remember all those H. Bauer kids? Imagine marrying into the family and trying to remember which “H” went with which face. It couldn’t have been easy.
And how did Lawrence and Leona even come up with all those “H” names? You have to admit that a few names on the above list are unusual.
After I got over my initial interest in all those H. Bauers, I reread Harold D. Bauer’s obituary. He has three daughters, whose names all begin with…the letter “C.”
Cindy. Candace. Charise.
I know, I know, you thought I was going to say “H.”
© Copyright 2010 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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