Louis Bader "Lou" of Flagstaff, age 95, died on Saturday, March 1. Lou was born on March 5, 1912 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He moved to Flagstaff at the age of two with his family. They resided on San Francisco Street and on their homesteaded property in Fort Valley. Lou raised his only child, Antoinette, in California and then returned to Flagstaff in the late fifties. He married Emma Jean Babbitt Nelson in 1965. Lou was a building contractor both in California and Arizona, and in the 1960s he began developing the Bader property that became the subdivision of Baderville. Lou was a singer, artist, and writer. He published his memories of growing up in Flagstaff in the book entitled, In the Shadow of the San Francisco Peaks; he also wrote the children's book The Great Kachina. Among the many bronze sculptures he created are three that he donated and that are prominently displayed in Flagstaff: The Mountain Man, in front of City Hall; The Eagle, at Flagstaff Medical Center; and Joseph's Carpenter Shop, at The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Lou was an active advocate of many causes, including homeless animals, poor and marginalized people, and the pro-life movement. He was co-founder of the Flagstaff Humane Society, founder of Flagstaff's First Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and he established a home for single mothers in need of support.

Lou is survived by his wife Emma Jean. His daughter Antoinette (husband John) predeceased him in 2005. Lou and Emma Jean were blessed with 15 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren.

Services include a rosary at Nativity on Monday, March 3, at 7:00 p.m. and a funeral mass also at Nativity on Tuesday, March 4, at 10:00 a.m. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Olivia White Hospice House.