Iowa Old Press
Hawarden Independent
May 28, 1931
TAPS SOUNDED FOR VETERAN
Pearson Baker Passed Away Monday Morning
Was 86 Years of Age and Lived in Sioux County 45 years
Survived by Five Children.
Pearson Baker, a Civil War veteran and resident of Sioux county for
forty-five years, passed away Monday morning at the Hawarden hospital. He
had been ailing for several months and was removed to the hospital two weeks
before his death. Heart trouble caused his death.
Funeral services were held at the Ross Funeral Home at 2 o’clock Wednesday
afternoon, conducted by Rev. Robt. H. Forrester, pastor of the Methodist
church. He was buried in the cemetery at Ireton with military honors
accorded by members of the American Legion, the ritualistic burial service
of the G. A. R. being read at the grave.
Pearson Baker was born in Williamsport, Pa., Dec. 22, 1844, and died in
Hawarden May 25, 1931, at the advanced age of 86 years, 5 months and 3 days.
At the age of 16 years he enlisted in the Union army with his father and
served for two years and eight months as a member of the 7th Pennsylvania
Cavalry when he was honorably discharged. At the age of 22, he moved to
Belvidere, Ill., where in 1867 he was united in marriage with Malinda Ling.
Eleven children were born to this union, four of whom died in infancy and
two of the daughters died twelve years ago. His wife also died the same
year.
The family moved from Illinois to Sac county, Iowa, in the spring of 1880
where they lived for four years. They then moved onto a farm in Plymouth
county where they made their home for two years and in 1886 located on a
farm 1 1⁄2 miles north of Maurice, in Sioux county. He left the farm in 1903
and moved to Maurice where he resided until 1919 when he came to Hawarden.
He had lived here but three weeks when his wife died. He is survived by
five children: Mrs. A. H. Kellerman of Hawarden; Frank F. Baker of Ree
Heights, S.D.; Thomas P. Baker, of Worthington, Minn.; Mrs. Harry Harper of
Mitchell, S.D.; and Mrs. Henry Vande Brake, of Orange City, all of whom were
here for the funeral. He also leaves 30 grandchildren and 22 great
grandchildren.
“Dad” Baker, as he was familiarly known to scores of Hawarden people, always
radiated good cheer along his pathway. He met his friends with a smile and
always had a cheery word of greeting. A rare sense of humor enabled him
always to see the bright side of life and he possessed an infectious
chuckle, which made him a universal favorite. Due to hard work and
foresight in his productive years, he had accumulated a competence
sufficient to provide a degree of independence in later life, which enabled
him to exercise the generous impulses with which he was richly endowed. His
death will be sincerely mourned by many outside the family circle and makes
another break in the fast dwindling ranks of the Civil War veterans.
Out of town people who attended the funeral were J. C. Linnan, Dan Doherty,
Dan Buckley, John and William McDonald, Mr. and Mrs. John Puese and family,
Bernie Vande Brake and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Mieras of Maurice; Mrs. Archie
Marsh of LeMars; Elvin Huesinkveld of Craig; and Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Kiner
of Sioux City.