Louise Baker, 98, of Girard, died at 7:55 A.M., Saturday, November 7, 209 at the Prairie Mission Retirement Village at St. Paul.
Louise was born May 18, 1911 in a log cabin near Ft. Scott, KS, the oldest of nine children born to Jesse and Grace (Morgan) Grimes. She grew up and attended rural school in the Ft. Scott area.
She married Arbie Baker September 19, 1931 at Girard. They farmed in Brown County and Bourbon County, KS before moving to Kawkawlin, MI during World War II. While living there, Louise worked for a wooden toy manufacturing company, specializing in little gray aircraft carriers and red, white and blue yachts. Arbie was employed at Gulf Oil.
The family returned to southeast KS to farm southwest of Girard, then in the Hiattville area. They retired and returned to Girard in 1978.
Louise was a member of the First Baptist Church at Girard where she helped with family dinners, and enjoyed taking her friend, Arlene, with her to visit area shut-ins, hospital and nursing home residents.
Louise loved to read her bible and also did a lot of sewing in her spare time. She always had a large garden and raised a lot of chickens in her younger years.
She entered Oakview Estates at Frontenac in 2006, where she was treated like a queen by everyone. After her health declined, she moved to Prairie Mission in St. Paul and again received great care.
Survivors include: One daughter, Maxine Filkel, rural Girard; three grandchildren, Janet Louise Van Seyoc, and her husband, Stephen, Leawood, Kelly Wayne Filkel, Redondo Beach, CA, Anita Louise Gillette, and her husband, Chris, Camby, IN; two great-granddaughters; four great-great grandchildren; her daughter in-law, Donna Mills, Camby, IN; and one brother, Gene Grimes, and his wife, Norma, Ft. Scott, KS.
Her husband, Arbie E. Baker preceded her in death on February 14, 1992. She was also preceded in death by a son, Walter Baker in 1965; a son in-law, Wayne Filkel in 2008; a grandson, Wesley Filkel on October 5, 2009. Two sisters, Thelma and Opal and five brothers, Melvin, Glen, Donald, Claude, and Kenneth Grimes also preceded her in death.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at the Smith-Carson-Wall Funeral Home with Rev. Ken Sommerfeldt officiating. Burial will be in the Girard Cemetery. Friends may call at their convenience after 2:00 P.M. Monday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the First Baptist Church and may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, P.O. Box 258. Girard, KS 66743. Arrangements are under the direction of the Smith-Carson-Wall Funeral Home of Girard.
GIRARD —
