Maida Louise Miller Baker was born October 29, 1919, thirteen minutes after her twin sister, Aida. The sisters were close all their lives. Maida passed away March 2, 2012 at the Inn at Orchard Park where she made her home that past two years.
Mom’s parents were Leslie and Sarah Miller. She outlived all her siblings, Mattie Miller, Alex Miller, Lillian Bunn, Aida Auck, Philena Frankenfield, and Leslie Miller.
Mom was born near Claridon, Ohio. Grandpa Miller farmed on the shares and the family moved quite often, and even though they moved frequently Mom said that her parents always kept the places neat and clean. They didn’t have much money but the family never went hungry, and they always felt their parents’ love.
Mom could remember going to school at Prospect, (where she started first grade), Unionville (near Marysville), Morral, Marion, Nevada, Sulphur Springs, Mount Zion and Lykens. Grandpa and Grandma moved to the Shelby settlement and since there wasn’t any bus to the Shelby schools, Mom and Aida didn’t go to school between their sophomore and junior years. Grandpa and Grandma moved to the Lykens area and Mom and Aida were able to complete their schooling, graduating in 1939. Mom was always proud of being able to graduate from high school. It was the time of the Great Depression and many young people dropped out of school to help their families. Mom, Aida, and good friend Winnie La Rue McCurdy , played on the girls’ basketball team. Winnie and Mom remained life-long friends as they married men whose farms were “across the road”.
When Mom was a young girl, she hired out in the summer. Her first job was with a lady in Nevada. The woman tried to pay Mom with used clothes instead of money. Mom threw the clothes down and walked away. She never got an allowance. Terribly near-sighted, she didn’t get her first pair of glasses until she was about 12 years old and she had earned enough money. Until then the teachers allowed her to sit close to the chalkboard.
Just think of the changes Mom experienced in her lifetime: horse and wagon to cars; laundry by washboard, to wringers, to automatics; ice boxes to refrigerators and freezers; letters to telephone to computers ; coal and wood stoves to gas furnaces and air conditioning; coal oil lamps to electric lights; radio to black and white TV to remote controlled HDTV. But some things remained a constant in her life. She was loved, she was loving, and she maintained a deep faith in God.
When Mom was helping out at Daisy Baker’s home on what is now Stetzer Road, Daisy’s young brother-in-law remarked on how he thought the neighbor girl was “kind of cute”. Daisy encouraged him to ask her out and that is how Earl Baker and Maida Miller started their courtship. They were married November 20, 1940. They lived in Bucyrus for a few years and then moved “out to the farm”. Pop Baker lived with them. In 1942, Dad received his draft notice. He entered Army training in August. Mom joined him at Camp Grant , Illinois and at Fort Smith, Arkansas. He was sent to Iran in the spring of 1943. Mom did not see him again until his discharge November 25, 1945. There were no computers, Skype, cell phones. The only way of communication was by letter and an occasional telegraph. Mom lived at the farm but also stayed quite a bit with Lillian and Dale in Bucyrus. It was Lillian who took her to the hospital when Dan was born, Oct. 30, 1943. I think Grandpa Baker sent a wire to Dad to tell him “It is a boy”.
After Dad returned home, Mom and he set about creating a home on the farm. Dad also had to work in factories to try to pay the bills. Bonnie was born December 23, 1946; Colleen , December 26, 1953; Sam, June 3, 1958. Money was tight and there was dissension, but even at that we knew that our mother’s love and care was always there for us. She kissed our booboo’s, cared for us when we were sick, told us stories, enjoyed the company of our friends, etc. She would get cross with us but the anger never lasted. She made sure we went to church and Sunday School. She made sure we went to the dentist, the eye doctor, and wore good shoes.
When Mom and Dad moved to Hopley Avenue in 1970, Mom’s life took a change. She began wearing slacks instead of house dresses. She started cleaning homes for various people. What was part time turned into almost full time. She enjoyed interacting with her “people” and if some were just too fussy, she found others willing to hire. She worked until she was 76. During the 70’s and 80’s , Mom and Dad enjoyed time to travel, to help with Colleen’s junior prom, to go to Sam’s football games, and time to enjoy the grandchildren who were coming into their lives. Jenny, Jon, Melissa, Mark, Matt, Brittney, and Todd were much loved. Mom appreciated that somewhere in them was a part of her. When she filled out a questionnaire that Colleen had given her, this is the advice she had for her grandchildren: “Go to church if you can, obey the Ten Commandments, love nature and always think of your parents, even if you are far away.”
March 27, 1987, the love of her life passed away, and Mom became a widow. She continued to live on her own until the spring of 2008. It was during these years that I drew very close to my mom. We spent one day a week getting groceries, going for rides, and eating lunch. We talked about the old days, the problems and the joys that each member of the family were experiencing. We compared the events happening at our churches, listened to music, etc. I am so thankful for those days.
When the difficult decision was made for Mom to move to Fairview Manor, it was just downright sad. But Mom , being her sweet self, won the hearts of the staff and settled in. Then she was moved to Orchard Park, and there again she won the hearts of the staff. To many she was “Miss Maida”. About a year ago, she and I were talking of the hard changes the past few years. I said, “Mom you just cope so well with what comes along.” She replied, “I was born to cope”. And that explains so much of her character----coping, putting others’ needs ahead of her own, being polite. Even in her last days she was saying “thank you”.
I am thankful that we were able to spend time with Mom as she slowly slipped from this life to the next. Yes, it was painful and sad but there was something so intimate, personal , and beautiful for each of us as we said our goodbyes. And so dear mother-- your morning has broken and you are a part of the infinite heavens.
Children of Dean and Maida Baker
Dan Baker, Oct. 30, 1942; Bonnie Baker Hildebrand, Dec. 23, 1946; Colleen Baker Jackson, Dec. 26, 1953; Sam Baker, June 3, 1958.
Dan lives near West Lafayette, Indiana; Colleen lives in Hayesville, OH; and Sam lives in Dyersburg, TN.
This picture was taken January, 2017. The only time we four siblings were able to get together so far this year.
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