Baker, Mary Elizabeth 1846-1926

BAKER, GEORGE

Posted By: Doris Hoffman, Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/28/2016 at 18:49:01

PASSING OF ANOTHER PIONEER

In the death of Mrs. Mary E. Baker at her home southwest of town Saturday morng, August 21, 1926, this community lost another esteemed and outstanding pioneer. She had been in declining health for some time ans succumbed to the infirmities of advanced age, being a the time of the final summons 79 years, 7 months, and 26 days old.

Mary Elizabeth George was born in Fayetteville, Tennessee, Decembeer 25, (Christmas day), 1846. She was next to the youngest in a family of eleven children and was left an orphan when three years oold. From that time she made her home with Rev. C. D. Martin, a Presbyterian missionary. Although she was born in a slave community and her grandfather owned over one hundred slaves, through the teachings of Rev. Martin she was reared a staunch Unionist. In 1852 Rev. Martin started from Tennessee with an ox-team for Colllorado to do missionary work, but was stopped at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, by the United States soldiers on account of an Indian uprising on the plains. He stayed there for four years preaching the gospel and championing the cause of the slaves, until he aroused so much feeling that a mob hunted him for three days.

Finally his friends carried him on board a steamboat in a trunk. The family started north, not knowing where they would go, but after an exciting trip up the Missouri they got off at Soux City, Iowa, in June, 1858. When they landed, Sioux City, consisted of six houses and a number of tents. After abandoning a homestead at the present townsite of Hinton, Iowa, on account of the danger of Indians, Mr. Martin took up his residence at Dakota City, Nebr. He did missionary work in Iowa, Nebraska, and Dakota, being the first Protestant missionary in Dakota Territory. When Mrs. Baker was sixteen she spent one year at Twin Lakes, Iowa, with her brother-in-law, who ran the stage through from Fort Dodge, Iowa.

From Twin Lakes it was eighten miles to the nearest house. Up to this time she had bee able to attend school for only six months, but the next yar she was asked to take the Covington, Nebr. (now South Sioux City) school. She passed the examinatons and taught the school for the next ten years. At the battle of the Appomattox River one brother, a brother-in-law and her fiannce were in the Union army and one brother in the Southern army. Her brother-in-law was the only one to come out alive.

On November 23, 1876, she was united in marriage with Alanson Baker who was farming his land adjoining the town of Akron, Iowa. They immediately came to Akkron, living in town for two years, when they built the house in which she was living at the time of her death To this union there were born three children--Mrs. Sarah R. Talbott and Alanson Baker, of Akron, Iowa, and Mrs. M. Avis Lockie of Sioux City, Iowa. Besides the children there are seven grandchildren there are seven grandchildren left to mourn her loss.

She was preceded in death by her husband fifteen years ago.

Mrs. Baker was a kind and loving mothher, always looking for the advancement of her children in the things that make for good citizenship. Although she never joined a church, she was always a deep student of the Bible a strict believer in its teachings, and lived a consistent Christian life, ever read to give to the charitable and religious work of the community and to help the poor in their time of need. Her good deeds were performed in a quiet and unostentatious manner, but her power for helpfullness will be greatly missed in the place where she lived so many years--nearly a half century.

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon, at 3 o'clock at the home and at 2:30 o'clock i the Baptist church, conducted by Rev. A. L. MacMillian. Hymns were sung by the Baptist quartet, Mr. and Mrs. I. E. Spears, Miss Evah Stinto and W. E. Mellen. The pallbearers were F. J. Swanson, S. W. Fredel, Clifford Lmoureux, Joohn Hanson, J. G. Hays and James Whitaker. Interment was in Riverside cemetery.

Relatives who came to attend the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Lockie and children and Mrs. Florence Wilbur, a niece, of Sioux City, and Judgs E. B. Wilbur, a nephew, of South Sioux City, Mrs. Anna Carpenter, a friend; of Hudson, S. D., also was present.

Akron Register Tribune
Thursday, August 26, 1926
Akron, Iowa