Barton Dean Urbauer

Barton Dean (Bart) Urbauer, MD, age 82, formerly of Grand Island, Nebraska passed away at his home in Vero Beach, Florida Tuesday evening, December 31, 2019. He graduated from Hastings High School in 1955 and received his BS from Hastings College in 1959, both in Hastings, Nebraska. While in college he was a member of the U.S. Marine Reserves. Bart attended the University of Nebraska Medical School in Omaha graduating with his M.D. in 1962 where he was a member of the Phi Chi Fraternity. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Army Medical Corp as a First Lieutenant medical officer. He spent a total of 5 ½ years in the United States Army including an internship year at William Beaumont Army Hospital in El Paso, TX, a year at Ft Bragg, North Carolina in 5th Special Forces, a year in Vietnam (1964-65) as a medical officer in Special Forces Vietnam, another year at Ft Bragg in the Special Forces Training Group, and a final year in Ft Leonard Wood, MO Medical Corp. He received his Parachute Badge, Air Medal, Combat Medical Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Medal and Army Commendation Medal. After leaving the Army as a Major, he, his wife and family moved to Grand Island, Nebraska where he joined the Grand Island Clinic. He practiced Family Medicine there for the next 35 years, retiring on December 31, 1999 exactly 20 years prior to his death. Bart was a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Grand Island. He enjoyed learning the Bethel Bible Study leadership course and teaching the Bethel Bible course. He was a member of the Hall County Medical Society, the VFW, the American Legion as well as the Riverside Golf Club where he loved to play golf. He cherished the 40 years of summers he spent with his wife, children, grandchildren and friends at Johnson Lake in Elwood Nebraska. After retiring, the Urbauers became snowbirds spending the winter months in Vero Beach. Bart was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach the Mustang Club and a former member of Grand Harbor Golf Club. He and his wife made The Isles of Waterway Village in Vero Beach their permanent home in 2015. Bart will be remembered for his kind and gentle nature, the twinkle in his eye and his dry sense of humor, his patriotism and his deep faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone that met him, loved “Papa Bart”. He is survived by his high school sweetheart, Arladeane (Arly) Mae Johnson Urbauer, with whom he celebrated 60 years of marriage on December 22, 2019; daughter, Angela Bauknecht and her husband Garth of Marietta, GA; daughter, Rebecca Hodos and her husband Alex of Parkville, MO; son, Matthew Urbauer of Grand Island, NE and daughter, Kimberly Urbauer of Leeds, England. He was the loving grandfather of Caroline Bauknecht Lee, Barton Bauknecht, Josh Hodos, Frankie, Katherine, Mark, Lakota, and Sawnee Urbauer and Sophia Smith. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Donna Johnson Grothen as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Grace (Welch) Urbauer; his wife’s parents, Edmond (Bud) and Esteleen (Kauffman) Johnson; Brother-in-laws, Edmond Johnson and Donald Johnson and granddaughter Cheyenne Urbauer. Memorial services will be held at 2:00pm Friday, January 10, 2020 at the First Presbyterian Church, 520 Royal Palm Blvd, with Dr. Tim Womack officiating. Following the service, a reception will be held in the E.T. Smith lounge of the church. The family would like to express their thanks for the wonderful help and care given during his 25year courageous battle with heart disease: most recently by VNA hospice as well as the doctors and staff of the St Francis Hospital in Grand Island, the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, and the Cleveland Clinic/Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach. If desired, friends may make memorial contributions to Hastings College Foundation, RE: Dr. Barton Urbauer ’59 Memorial Pre-Med Student Scholarship, 710 N. Turner Avenue, Hastings, NE 68901.