Baker, John F. – 1846-1937

BAKER, BENNETT, DIEBEL, EBERSOLE, FERGUSON, KISSINGER, MCMICHAEL, MUNN, PICKENS, RISLEY ROADEFER, TAYLOR

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:37

Newton’s Last Civil War Veteran Dies
Funeral Rites For John Baker To Be Wednesday
Was Doorkeeper for State Senate for Five Sessions
John F. Baker, 91, Newton’s last surviving veteran of the Civil war, died Saturday night as he was preparing for bed.
Death was believed to have resulted from a heart attack.
Funeral Wednesday
Funeral services will be held at Morgan’s funeral home Wednesday at 2 p.m. with Dr. E. A. Ramige, pastor of the Congregational church in charge.
Military rites will be conducted by Newton post No. 111 of the American Legion and burial will be made in the Newton Union cemetery.
The sons of Union Veterans auxiliary will attend the funeral in a body, assembling at 1:30 p.m. Mr. Baker was a council member of the auxiliary and had been since it was organized in 1924.
Members of the American Legion and V.F.W. will meet at their respective clubrooms at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and attend the funeral in a body. Veterans are asked to wear their overseas caps.
Willis McCollom of Anaheim, California, a former Newton resident who has been visiting here, walked up town with Mr. Baker Saturday evening and together they attended a meeting of the Townsend club, Mr. Baker was an active member of the club.
Started To Rain
As they were walking toward the courthouse square it started to rain and Mr. McCollom suggested that Mr. Baker go back after his overcoat or an umbrella. But Mr. Baker declined and they continued on their way.
Mr. McCollom said Mr. Baker stopped twice on the way and put his hand to his heart, and that once he said: “My old heart kinda goes back on me once in a while.”
At the Townsend club meeting Mr. Baker was called upon for a talk but said at first that he had a headache and didn’t feel like speaking. Later, however, he did make a short talk.
Mrs. Ada Van Epps, the housekeeper, was away when Mr. Baker returned home.
When she returned she found the lights were on in the house. She turned them out and was starting upstairs when she noticed the light was on in the bathroom. On investigation she found Mr. Baker lying on the floor. He had been dead for several moments.
Mr. Baker had evidently played a little solitaire upon returning home, for his cards were spread out on the table.
Survivors
Surviving him are a son, Dr. R. K. Baker of McClure, S.D., who is here to attend the funeral, and two sisters, Alice Roadefer of Germantown, O., and Anna Ferguson …
Source: Newton Daily News; Monday, October 11, 1937
(Obituary includes photo; remainder of article was torn out)

Military Rites Set For Newton Civil War Veteran
Military rites for John F. Baker, 91, Newton’s last surviving Civil War veteran, will be conducted Wednesday by Newton Post No. 111, American Legion.
The services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the Morgan funeral home with Dr. E. A. Ramige of the First Congregational church preaching the funeral sermon.
The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Auxiliary to Sons of Union Veterans and the Woman’s Relief Corps will attend the rites as separate groups.
Members of the Relief Corps will meet at the funeral home at 1:30 p.m. prior to the rites.
Members of the Legion and V.F.W. posts will meet at their respective club rooms at 1:30 o’clock p.m. Members of each organization have been asked to wear their overseas caps.
Source: Newton Daily News; Tuesday, October 12, 1937

State Figures Here For John F. Baker Rites
Patriotic Organizations Join in Paying Final Tribute to GAR Chief
Taps were sounded Wednesday for John F. Baker, Newton’s last surviving Civil War veterans, who served as commander of Garrett Post No. 16, G.A.R., for many years.
Highest tribute was paid to the 91-year-old veteran when John Risley, state commander, conducted the G.A.R. ceremony at the grave in the Union cemetery, assisted by Judge J. H. Willetts of Tama, past national and state commander, and Judge H. F. Noll of Grinnell, past state commander.
The three comrades, all 93 years of age, were bowed with the grief as they performed the simple rites for their “fallen dead.” Commander Risley, a close friend of Mr. Baker, spoke with great effort to conceal his sorrow.
Patriotic Groups Attend
Headed by a number of state officers, all patriotic orders were represented at the services, held at 2:00 o’clock from the Morgan funeral home.
Dr. E. A. Ramige, pastor of the First Congregational church and chaplain of Newton Post No. 111, American Legion, gave the funeral sermon, eulogizing a recent statement made by Mr. Baker, when he said, “One of the interesting things of life is to help your fellow men in a tolerant way.”
Music for the rites were provided by A. Eugene Burton, who sang “Sleep Thy last Sleep” and “Crossing the Bar.” He was accompanied by Lois Hundling.
Military Rites
Military rites at the grave were in charge of the American Legion post, assisted by Marshall F. Foch Post No. 1655, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Walter T. Robinson, Legion commander was in charge of arrangements.
Following the G.A.R. ceremony, Dr. Ramige, as chaplain of the legion, offered prayer and then unveiled the flag from the coffin, presenting it to the son, Dr. Ralph K. Baker of Fort Pierre, S.D., in accordance to a military custom of the Legion.
The salute was fired by the following firing squad: Ralph Beals, W. R. Smith, Mac Edge, Thomas Thorson, L. R. Perry, Joe Arvidson, N. E. Nelson, H. H. Horn and Dr. Cleo Nichols.
Buglers Sound Taps
Four buglers of the V.F.W. Junior Drum and Bugle Corps, Bill Smith, Ray Livengood, Wayne Cochran and Donald Barnes, sounded taps. Two other members of the corps, Bobby Rogers and Donald Hulse, played the drum march as the casket was taken to the grave.
Pall bearers were Carl C. Carey, and Ross D. Lemke of the American Legion, Lee Rucker and Glen Brittain of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, J. R. Bowen of the Sons of Union Veterans, and W. H.. Bradbury of the Spanish American War Veterans.
Roy Hipsley and Lee Rucker were the guard of honor and the color guard was formed by Ralph Gardner, Harold Switzer, R. M. Ervin, Stanley Eldred, Frank Jensen and Arthur Parson.
Floral Arrangements
The flowers were arranged by Mrs. Minnie Rhoads, Mrs. J. T. Daly and Mrs. Charles Schwarz, members of the Auxiliary to Sons of Union Veterans, an organization of which Mr. Baker had been council member since it was organized in 1924.
Other prominent patriotic leaders present for the rites were Roy Bennett, past state commander of the Sons of Union Veterans and W. F. Hathaway, state patriotic inspector of the organization, of Des Moines. Mrs. Ida Snider of Des Moines, state president of the Auxiliary to Sons of Union Veterans; and Mrs. Irene Guessford of Des Moines, former state officer of the Daughers of Union Veterans.
Also attending were the son, Dr. Ralph K. Baker of Fort Pierre, S.D.; a granddaughter, Mrs. Ellen Diebel of Altoona; Mrs. Willis Pickens and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Munn of Ames; Mr. and Mrs. W. S. McMichael, H. A. Ebersole, Mrs. Roy Bennett and Mrs. John Risley of Des Moines, and Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Taylor of Marshalltown.
Died Unexpectedly
Mr. Baker died unexpectedly Saturday night at his home as he was preparing for bed. Death was attributed to a heart attack.
Mr. Baker has been a resident of Jasper county since 1881, with the exception of two years in South Dakota. Most of this time he has spent in Newton.
Mr. Baker served with Company D, 4th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil war, enlisting in 1863 and serving until the close of the war.
He brought his bride, Rebecca J. Kissinger Baker, to Marshall county, Ia., in 1879. Her death occurred in 1918.
In April 1935, Mr. Baker married her sister, Elida Kissinger, who had been his housekeeper for many years. She preceded him in death Oct. 29, 1936.
Surviving relatives include the son, two sisters, Mrs. Alice Roadefer of Germantown, O., and Mrs. Anna Ferguson of Dayton, O., and several grandchildren.
Source: Newton Daily News; Thursday, October 14, 1937

Baker, John F.; born: 13 July 1846; in Ohio; died: 09 Oct. 1937; Mother’s maiden name: Zellars; Death Cert # C50-0096