Baker, Howard R. (1932-2012)

BAKER, RIEMERSMA, HARKER, THIESSEN, SKOW

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 3/6/2012 at 12:00:41

Howard R. Baker
October 11, 1932 - February 17, 2012

Howard R. Baker, age 79, of Storm Lake, Iowa, and formerly of Ocheyedan, Iowa, died February 17, 2012, at the Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake.

Howard Rodney Baker was born October 11, 1932, in Ocheyedan, Iowa, the son of Maynard and Cynthia (Riemersma) Baker.

Stationed in Alaska, he served his country in the Army during the Korean Conflict. On November 29, 1958, he married Elnora Harker. Blessed with three children: Julie, Jim (Cookie), and Mike, they lived most of their life in Ocheyedan.

For most of Howard's life, he was closely connected to the soil in various ways. He worked at Concrete Sand & Materials in Milford as a dragline operator. He purchased a dragline, a tiling machine, and a backhoe and worked for many years installing farm drainage tile in northwest Iowa and southern Minnesota. He was also a Chief dealer, selling and erecting farm grain storage bins and metal buildings. He sold seed corn for the Mallard Seed Company.

But his main love was actually working the soil, making the land productive. He installed many soil and water conservation practices on the farm, including extensive terraces and waterways. He was a long-time Soil & Water District Commissioner in Osceola County. He raised purebred Maine Anjou cattle, with which he won many ribbons and trophies at cattle shows. After retiring from farming, he continued his connection to the land as he took up vegetable gardening and selling his bounty at the local farmers' markets.

Active in the Republican Party, he attended several local, district, and state conferences. He was also chairman of the church board of the United Methodist Church in Ocheyedan.

During the years after he retired, he and Elnora worked and lived at the Royal Starr Resort in Minnesota. During their summers living there, he played at third base on a softball team for senior citizens. He also loved major league baseball, especially the St. Louis Cardinals.

In 2000, he and Elnora moved to Storm Lake to be closer to their children and grandkids: Alex, Kacee, Cody, and Jessi, whom he loved dearly. They are sure to remember the days of fun together, especially fishing and kite-flying.

We will all remember him as a guy who could build, fix, weld, repair, or grow about anything.

The Lord took him home peacefully and quickly on February 17, 2012, at the age of 79, after living 22 years with Parkinson's Disease, which he never gave in to, but strongly fought. Like the Energizer Bunny, he just kept going, and going, and going.

His strong faith in his Lord Jesus Christ, his quietness, his humble spirit, and his perseverance in the face of difficulty have served as an inspiration and a model to his family and to many who knew him well.

Howard was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Jan Thiessen. He is survived by his wife, Elnora; his three children; his four grandchildren; his three brothers: Arthur (Jiggs), Bobby and David; his sister, Virginia Skow; and his brother-in-law, Jim Thiessen.

Memorial services will be held Monday, February 20, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. at the Hope Evangelical Free Church in Storm Lake. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church where the family will be present the entire time. Burial will be in the Ocheyedan Township Cemetery in Ocheyedan at 3:00 p.m. on Monday. The Sliefert Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements.

Copyright © 2012, Sliefert Funeral Homes

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