Melissa Jane (KELSEY) BAKER

KELSEY, BAKER, PURDY, BURKHALTER, PLATTS, TICE

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/2/2011 at 04:23:20

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
February, 1906

A NOBLE WOMAN GONE

MRS. MELISSA JANE BAKER DIES SUNDAY

At the Age of Eighty-one Years -- One of Iowa's
Pioneer Women Passes Away.
One of the noble women of Iowa went to her rest Sunday morning when Mrs. Melissa Jane BAKER passed from death unto life, and joined the innumerable company on the other shore, at the honorable age of eighty-one years. Grandma BAKER was on of the pioneers of the state, coming to Iowa with her husband in 1852, and with him laboring to build a home in a wilderness where wolves, wild turkey and deer were in sight of their door, and where the log cabin with puncheon door was the shelter within which the wife and mother wrought the miracle of home-making, raising her children after the sturdy fashion of the pioneer women of that early day.

Melissa Jane KELSEY was born in Highland county, Ohio, October 2, 1824. In 1830 her parents [Abner and Nancy (PURDY) KELSEY] moved to Cass county, Mich., and there she married Milton BAKER in March [18], 1842, and remained his faithful wife until he died, nearly fifty years later. Eight children were born to them, five of them now living: Ed and Ira BAKER and Mrs. A. C. BURKHALTER, of Rockwell City; Mrs. Isabell PLATTS, of Chicago, and Mrs. Adah TICE of Lewis.

The family came to a Marion county, Iowa, farm in 1852, and in 1865 went to Jasper county, enduring all the harships of pioneer life during those years. In 1872 they went back to Marion county, and in 1877 moved to the town of Monroe, Jasper county, where the husband and father died in 1889. In 1899 Mrs. BAKER came to Rockwell City to be with her sons and daughter, and has lived here ever since.

She was a strong, healthy woman all her life, but two illnesses being known before her last. For some time she had heart trouble and during the six days preceding her death, suffered much, following a stroke that prostrated her one morning.

Mrs. BAKER was a quiet home body, not much of a talker, but a woman whose life work in the home spoke for itself. She was a member of the Christian church since 1868, and attended the services whenever her advanced years would permit.

The funeral service was held at her late residence Monday at 3 p.m. and conducted by Rev. E. R. MABOOD (?) and Rev. A. B. MORRIS. The body was taken to the hold home at Monroe for burial.

Mr. and Mrs. Ira BAKER and daughter lois, Mr. and Mrs. Ed BAKER and son Clarence, Mrs. A. C. BURKHALTER and son Frank, and Miss Nellie TICE went to Monroe with the funeral party. Ralph and Nathan BAKER of Eagle Grove and Miss Nellie TICE, of Lewis, and Carl BURKHALTER came here for the funeral.

A mother in Israel sleeps.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2011