Anita Baird

BAIRD, HEWITT, DAVIS, SMITH, BIGGERSTAFF, NOSS, LAMBERT, MCCLURE

Posted By: Jeannette Mahony
Date: 4/17/2009 at 16:27:37

Anita M. Baird, 1918-1987, 69, of Morning Sun, died Sunday, Sept. 20, 1987 at the St. Francis Continuation Care Center.

Born Feb. 24, 1918 in Mediapolis, she was the daughter of Alben and Anna Hewitt Davis. She married Bruce Baird. He died in April 1973. She later married Robert M. Baird.

She was a graduate of Mediapolis High School and Burlington Junior College. She was a well-known columnist for the Morning Sun News Herald and the Mediapolis New Era. She was employed as a copywriter for the National Research Bureau for several years and later was a proofreader and social editor for The Hawk Eye. She had articles and poems published in the Lyrical Iowa and her creative writing frequently reflected rural life.

She was a member of the Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Surviving are her husband; her mother, Anna Davis, Mediapolis; three daughters, Rebecca A. Smith, DeKalb, Ill., Mary K. Baird, Largo, Fla., and Julie A. Biggerstaff, Ames; two sons, Bruce W. Baird, Dunlap, and Alan J. Baird, Sperry; one step-daughter, Elaine Noss, Boulder, CO; five step-sons, Dr. Richard Baird, Kewanee, Ill., Joe Baird, Morning Sun, Melville Baird, El Paso, Texas, John Baird, Uvalde, Texas, and David Baird, Freeport, Ill.; 11 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and eight step-grandchildren.

Visitation was held Tuesday at Pierce Funeral Home. Memorials have been established for the public libraries of Morning Sun and Mediapolis.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, September 23 at the Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Robert Schmidtberger officiated. Ola Lambert and Marjorie McClure assisted with flowers.

Honorary pallbearers were Michael Smith and Kenneth Baird. Pallbearers were John D. Smith, David Smith, Leonard Biggerstaff, Joe Baird, Allen Baird and Bill Baird.

Burial was in the Sharon Cemetery with Pierce Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.