On August 1, 2011, at the age of 88, Beatrice ("Bebe") O. Haemmerle died after leading a grand, adventurous and generous life.
Bebe was born on March 4, 1923, in Milwaukee, Wis., the third child of Walter and Louise (Frank) Ott. She had a wonderful childhood in Wisconsin. In the summers, she lived on the water, sailing and racing boats on Pine Lake, and fishing at the "Cabin" in northern Wisconsin. In her teenage years, she fondly recalled her family loading their family car on ocean liners and traveling to Europe during the pre-World War II years. She recalled being in Europe in 1939 when World War II started and the adventure of leaving Europe under difficult circumstances. Bebe loved her home state and was a lifelong Packers fan—go Pack.
Bebe attended college in Massachusetts in the early 1940s but had to leave college after Pearl Harbor because her father did not believe it was safe to live on the coast during wartime.
Remembering a trip she took to Sun Valley in 1938 with a group of teenage girls from Milwaukee, Bebe returned to Sun Valley in 1949. On that trip, Bebe met her husband, Bavarian Florian ("Flokie") Haemmerle, one of Sun Valley's first ski instructors. In 1950, Bebe and Florian were married in Aspen, Colo. For a honeymoon, Bebe and Florian, along with friends, tested their adventuring skills by taking fold boats down Westwater Canyon of the Colorado River. The adventure got the best of them though, and Florian and Dick Durance, both 10th Mountain Division veterans, had to hike out of the canyon to be rescued.
Thereafter, Bebe and Florian built their house on the Gem Streets in Ketchum, Idaho, the same house Bebe lived in and treasured for all her years. There they raised their children, Reli, Walter and Fritz. The neighborhood was full of life, and there was never a dull moment. While raising a family, Bebe's adventures did not stop. Bebe told stores of "Old Ketchum." One of her favorite stories was describing "ladies night." Fathers stayed home, and the ladies had the run of town. There were no consequences then because the "town" made sure the ladies made it home safely. Bebe also loved to reminisce about the grand parties she had with other ski instructors and the many celebrities that enjoyed Sun Valley in the early years. One of her favorite stories was being interviewed by the FBI about the whereabouts and activities of one of those celebrities and party-goers, Bugsy Siegel's girlfriend Virginia Hill.
One of Bebe's great loves in life involved her ski adventures. Although she broke her leg the first time she skied Baldy, Bebe became one of Sun Valley's most elegant "stem christie" skiers. Never in a rush or concerned about vertical feet, she skied well into her 70s. Bebe particularly loved the "Old Gentlemen's" class, a group of mostly Wisconsin people who over a span of 30 years came to Sun Valley for the entire month of February to ski and party. Bebe also did such thing as "skin" up to Pioneer Cabin, spending several days there with Florian and friends.
In later years, Bebe enjoyed running many of Idaho's wild rivers. Later in life, she enjoyed world travels with her brother, Freddy. She also enjoyed the role of being an "Oma" to her grandsons. Bebe generously, gladly and tirelessly gave of herself to make the community a better place to live. Bebe and Florian did small things like making sure the working person had a glass of cold water or beer.
They made significant contributions as well. Bebe was one of the original six founding members of the Papoose Club. She was one of the original volunteers at the Gold Mine, a place where she was always able to catch up with her friends. She served on the Community Library Board. In the 1970s, she served on the Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission, and was also one of the first women on the commission. She gave generously to many good causes, including Galena Lodge, St. Luke's hospital, and one of her favorite causes, the Blaine County Recreation District. To her last days, Bebe loved the bike path, and she believed it was her responsibility to pick up trash along the path. In 2006, because of her life of giving, Bebe was nominated to the Blaine County Historical Society Heritage Court as Ketchum's representative.
Bebe was preceded in death by her husband Florian, her son, Dr. Walter F. Haemmerle; father, Walter; mother, Louise; sister, Elise; brother, Frederick ("Freddy"); and last, but not least, her beloved dog, Packer. Bebe is survived by her daughter, Reli; son, Fritz, and his wife, Jennifer (Kroos), and their children, Xavier and Dieter; and Walter's children, Kier, Tanager and Thea.
At Bebe's request, there will not be a formal service. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, choose a charity to give to, and suggestions are the Blaine County Recreation District and the Wood River Animal Shelter. As Bebe would like, give of yourself and find a way to make your community a better place.
