Gerald Dennis Baker

Funeral services for Gerald Dennis Baker, 74, of Mexia, will be held 12:00 pm Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Eubank Funeral Home in Canton, with interment to follow at Haven of Memories. The family will receive visitors immediately prior to the service at 11:00 am.

Mr. Baker passed away June 14, 2025, in Mexia. Born July 24, 1950, in Edgewood to Samuel Richard Baker Sr. and Minnie Ella Smith Baker he spent his youth with family in Edgewood, moving to Mexia State School in 1962.

A vivacious baby, Gerald Dennis was stricken by serious illness just before his first birthday. Given the scarcity of resources at the time and an inability to diagnose exactly what may have presented, his survival was nothing short of a miracle to both medical professionals and family. Even still, he defied the odds and grew into a joyful young man, never letting his challenges define him. He was dedicated to his work at Mexia, shredding documents to earn money he used to keep himself in chewing tobacco and sodas as well as shower his beloved family with gifts when he would come home for visits. Throughout his life, Dennis cherished extended visits to to his country home, where he was surrounded by family and the animals he loved—horses, cows, goats, and more. These visits brought him joy, as he fondly recalled his childhood and relished the simple pleasures of country life. His favorite pastime for many years when visiting was beating his dad and all of his uncles at dominoes. They would be the first to tell you there was no letting Dennis win - he was just that good. He enjoyed art and always ensured to have plenty of colorings that he would hand pick for specific friends and family. This continued even in later years as his mobility failed and his trips became day visits with staff from Mexia volunteering to travel with their pal Gerald to come "home" for a bit.

While he was always thrilled for a visit "home," Dennis was never afraid to tell you when he was ready to go HOME - back to the comfort of Mexia where he built a life he truly enjoyed surrounded by people who cared tremendously for him. Save a very brief failed experiment in the late 80s when he attempted a move to Canton to be nearer to family, his home and the place he wanted to be most was with his Mexia family and friends.

Gerald Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Minnie Baker; siblings: Leon Yoes, Ernest Yoes and wife, Shirley, Samuel Baker, and Leta Barnes; niece Sherilyn Thurston; many beloved aunts and uncles; and close friend and caregiver Jerry Hutcherson.

Dennis is survived by his aunt, Beatrice Turner; brother-in-law, Walter Barnes; sister-in-law, Linda Baker; nephews: Michael Yoes and wife Cheryl, Nick King, Richard Baker and wife Susan, and Butch Barnes and partner, Tylina; nieces: Pam Vandervliet and husband Mark, Gwen King-Mallett, Shaonda Baker Gathright, and Nonnie Barnes; and a vast circle of friends and loved ones from both his Edgewood and Mexia homes who will forever remember him fondly.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

Guardian Therapeutic Horsemanship

896 N Vicha Dr.

Axtell, TX 76624

254-717-1779

https://www.guardiantherapeutichorsemanship.com/