Robert M. Baker

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 16, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, with visitation one hour prior. He will be laid to rest in Davenport Memorial Park. Online condolences may be expressed at www.rungemortuary.com.

Robert was born May 9, 1928, to Luther Marion and Louise Ann (Haigh) Baker. Robert formed a club called the Mohawks at the “Y”, 4th and Harrison. In the late 30’s it was taken over by the Optimist Club and called the Junior Optimist. Boy Hanson gave him a clubhouse in his sign shop on Front St. and Gaines. He worked on the Milwaukee Road Railroad at Nahaut “RIP” track when he was 16 and 17, also working part-time at Lawton’s Grocery Store. In 1946, he graduated from Central as 2nd letter varsity in basketball. He got “D” in baseball for 4 years and in 1944 were state champs. He later played semi-pro baseball all over Iowa and Illinois. Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946 and had basic training at Fort Knox, KY. He went to Korea at the 9th med supply in Inchon he was a clerk typist and discharged in March 1948. Afterwards, he went on to work at Oscar’s in April 1948, where Katie was working. On May 1, 1949, he married Kathleen Milda Kruckenberg. He retired from Oscar Mayer/Kraft Foods in May, 1987.

Survivors include his wife, Katie; children, Barbara Kay (Dennis) Buckley and Bruce Robert Baker; grandchildren: Nick (Gina) Swanson, Jennifer (Reuben) Tines, Daniel (Charlene Taylor) Swanson, and Krista (Mark Schilling) Buckley; great-grandchildren: Austin Swanson, Ryan Tines, Josh Tines, Braxton Tines, Liam Schilling, and Mila Schilling.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Ora and brother, Bill.