Andrew W. Baird 1862-1951

BAIRD, BARNES, SIMPSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 8/18/2011 at 00:31:12

A.W. Baird Succumbs to Heart Ailment
County Resident for 35 Years
A.W. Baird, 88, a resident of Emmet county since 1915, died Sunday [April 29, 1951] morning of a heart ailment at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Guy E. Simpson of Estherville. Mr. Baird had suffered from a heart ailment for 18 years but was bedfast for only one week.

Mr. Baird moved with his family from Atlantic to Emmet county in 1915 to a farm northeast of Estherville and farmed in the Estherville community and near Armstrong until he retired in 1945. Mr. and Mrs. Baird then moved to Estherville where they lived at W. 121 North First street until Mrs. Baird’s death in November of 1949.

Mr. Baird was born in Frankfort, Ind., Aug. 21, 1862 and moved to Atlantic in 1879. He was married Jan. 10, 1889 to Ida May Barnes at Marne, Ia. Mr. Baird joined the Methodist church when a young man and was a member of the Masonic lodge.

He led an active life serving as construction foreman for the Illinois Central and Union Pacific railroads, operating a grain elevator, serving as postmaster at Marne from 1902 to 1914 and farming.

Mr. Baird was vitally interested in the Iowa farmer and his problems and wrote news stories and a column called “The Changing World.” He was a frequent contributor until a year ago to the “Letter to the Editor” columns of the Daily News.

Survivors include two sons, Donald Baird of Odin, Minn., and Albert Baird of St. James, Minn.; one daughter, Mrs. Guy E. Simpson of Estherville, and 12 grandchildren.

Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Guy Simpson home, 2233 North Sixth street, and at 2 p.m. at the Methodist church. The Rev. John DeLong will officiate. Masonic services also will be held. Burial will be in Eastside cemetery. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, April 30, 1951)