John H. Baker

John Hale Baker

1930 – 2013

Dad was born to Tomas and Ida Baker on the family farm outside of Kennett, Missouri on February 4, 1930, and was one of five children.

He often talked about his childhood and growing up on the farm. One of the stories he told was when he was quite young how he and his family had to wade flood waters that were chin deep on him to his uncle Roscoe’s farm about a half a mile west of their farm, which was situated on higher ground. Floods weren’t the only dangers that occurred in the boot heal of Missouri; he also talked about large tornadoes. Winter also brought about other hardships such as ice storms and snow. When the snow was too deep for the school bus to get down the country roads his dad would hitch a team of horses to a wagon and go to the neighboring farms and picked up the kids and took them on to school, no snow days for them. When he got old enough to help plow the fields there wasn’t a tractor, it was done with a team of horses and he spent many a long hour behind the team. As time went by and he became a teenager he would hire on at other family farms to earn a little spending money. In 1948 he graduated from Kennett High School which had class of 25.

As a young man he began to dream of having a three bedroom brick home, three children and a Chrysler automobile. To realize his dreams he would have to leave the farm and Kennett, so in 1950 he joined the United States Air Force.

After completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas he was transferred to Lowery Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado. While at Lowery he was trained as a Remote Weapon Systems Mechanic. During his time at Lowery he met his future wife, Joan Stevens, of Englewood, Colorado. His next duty assignment would take him half a world away to the island of Guam. On Guam he was assigned to the 19th Bomber Wing as a tail gunner on B29’s. The squadron that he was with was a Search and Rescue Squadron, and the aircraft were unarmed. Their role was to fly over the China Sea looking for downed US aviators, and upon finding them they would drop life rafts. On a few missions they were harassed by North Korean Mig 15 fighters. When he returned state side he came back to Denver to marry Joan. On December 19, 1952 mom and dad were married in the living room of mom’s parents’ home in Englewood. With mom in tow, dad finished his enlistment as a clerk with an Air Force Reserve Squadron at Long Beach Municipal Airport in Long Beach, California. Dad and mom moved back to Denver in 1955.

After the Air Force he went on to work for the Gates Rubber Company. He retired from Gates in 1991 after 37 years. In that 37 years he was able to fulfill his dreams, he bought a 3 bedroom brick home in Thornton, Colorado where he and mom lived until their passing. They actually had four children, of which three survive them. And yes he did own a 1968 Chrysler Newport.

As children growing up dad tried very hard to provide us with the things we needed and wanted, and as far as I am concerned he did a mighty fine job. He also broadened our horizons by taking us on vacations not only to the farm where he grew up, but also to the Pacific Northwest, where we followed the Louis and Clark Trail in Idaho and Oregon. In 1972 we went to Disneyland, which by the way, when he was stationed in California they would drive by a citrus grove that would become Disneyland. We also went to Mount Rushmore, Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska and to visit relatives in Louisiana, Tennessee, and of course Missouri. Our childhood was good and for that we are very grateful.

After retiring he volunteered to haul commodities to the food bank in Westminster, and to some local churches. Dad and mom traveled a bit seeing things such as the Natchez Trace Parkway starting in Nashville and following it to the southern end in Natchez, Mississippi. They also went to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Dad and mom were married for a little over 55 years when mom passed away on February 15, 2008.

Dad was pretty secretive about his health, he never let on that he had some serious health issues. His demise really started on January 14th when he fell and broke his right arm and shoulder after grocery shopping at Walmart in Brighton. He spent about 2 days in the Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton. Then on January 26th in the wee hours of the morning he began to experience a shortness of breath, fortunately Carolyn was staying with him and she called 911. He spent the next eleven days at North Suburban Medical Center. For nine of those days he was in ICU. He spent his eighty-third birthday there. It was not until this time did we learn just how bad his health had gotten. Dad underwent two procedures to put stints in the heart to help with circulation. The doctor was straight forward with us in saying that these procedures were only band aids, and were really not going to help, and that his time with us was short. Even hearing this, we kids held some hope that him being a Missouri Mule Head, he would prevail. However the stark realization set in when he was transferred to the Veterans Wing at the Denver Hospice at Lowery on February 5th. Dad did not want anything done that would have extended his life, so for the next five days he only received comfort care. The end of an era was at hand. Dad succumbed to Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure on Sunday evening February 10th.

Dad was preceded in death by his loving wife Joan and son Andrew Glenn.

He is survived by two sisters and a brother, three Children and seven grandchildren.

Daughter Carolyn Jeanne Baker of Thornton, Colorado, grandson Patrick;

Son Jeffrey Lance Baker of Aurora, Colorado, his wife Tina, grandsons Christopher, and Brendon, granddaughter Amy;

Daughter Andrea Lynne Love of Londonderry, New Hampshire, her husband Mick, grandsons Russell and Heath, granddaughter Kristen.

We will always Love and Miss you Dad!