Dean Baker

Dean and Naomi Baker

Written by his daughter Deana Detweiler,  August 2017

My dad, Dean Baker, was a twin to Don Baker. They were the second set of twins born to Vernon and Sadie on the farm west of New Winchester. Don was a few minutes older than Dean, and he grew taller than Dean.

But they were always close, and Dad made up for his lack of height with a big personality that was a bit hyperactive and feisty. Whenever Don got into a fight Dean always jumped in to help.  He loved to fight, proudly sharing that he boxed in the golden gloves competition in the Navy.

Dean attended school at Kirkpatrick through the 11th grade. He then lived with Frank and Wyona (his sister) Furniss in Morral to complete high school and graduate. Frank said Dean was a good student but was a typical boy who didn’t apply himself to school work to achieve his capabilities. But he achieved above average grades apparently without much effort.

As a graduation gift, Grandpa Vernon sent Dean, Don, and Robert on a train trip across the United States circling up through the northern US then down through California and back home via the southern route.

Dean and his brothers “batched” it at the old farmhouse when their parents moved to Marion. Dad became a fastidious house cleaner, later teaching his kids how to clean thoroughly in every room in the house.

In high school, Dean had been an excellent basketball player despite his shortness as he had quickness and speed. During those intra-county competitions, he met another good basketball player, Naomi Cook. They married in 1939 in Greenup, Kentucky.

As was common in those days. Dean and Naomi lived with his parents in Marion for a time. He applied for a job on the Erie Railroad where his dad and Robert worked. After studying Morse Code he was hired on as an operator and later moved into a dispatcher position.

Dean and his brothers avoided the World War II draft for a few years, but they eventually all served—in different branches of the armed forces. Dad chose the Navy. He was tested in boot camp and qualified by the Navy to attend college for some courses at Northwestern University.

Stationed on a destroyer --in the radio room because of his knowledge of Morse Code—he saw kamikazes and other action during this time. During his service, he kept a diary of the most intense days that described how scared he and the other men were when they were getting closer to the attack on Tokyo.

Mom was pregnant for me when Dad left for the service. So she and Ron, my older brother, moved to Waldo to live with her parents. I was born during that time and was almost a year old when my Dad came home. Evidently, I was afraid of this strange man and crawled behind the couch when I saw him. I’m sure that was hard to take!

Dean and Naomi then moved to Marion after using the GI Bill to help them purchase a home in Oakland Heights.

Dad went back to the Erie Railroad and eventually worked his way up to chief dispatcher. He worked a split shift—first shift on Friday and Saturday, second shift on Sunday and Monday, and third shift on Tuesday. This work schedule had to have an effect on his health. It certainly made his family life different. With our school schedules, we often didn’t see him for days at a time.

Naomi was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1959. Dad didn’t let her give up. He kept her going with traveling and supporting her to not let self-pity take over. But it had to be a stress in his life as he took on much of the household responsibilities when Naomi was too tired to keep up.

Some of my best memories are of vacationing every summer at Lake Erie where we rented a cottage next to Lakeside. Dean and his brothers bought a speedboat together that doubled as a fishing boat and a ski boat. We spent a week in August every year with Robert and Emma and their kids enjoying the fishing, the beach at East Harbor, and the tasty fish fries from the day’s catch of perch. Yum!

After Dean’s retirement in the mid 70’s they sold their home, moved to Pleasant Acres MHP, and bought a travel trailer. They traveled to Arizona to visit Carl and Virginia (his sister) Ralston and other places out west. They spent winters in Florida, too, buying a mobile home in Port Charlotte to be near Naomi’s parents who wintered in Punta Gorda.

In 1987 Dean had experienced extreme fatigue and was diagnosed with aortic stenosis. He had a valve replacement surgery and recovered very well. However, in the early 90’s he began showing signs of memory loss (as Sadie, his mom, had). The trips to Florida had to stop as he was not able to remember how to get places.

When Naomi had to be hospitalized for a perforated ulcer in ’95 it became apparent how much Dean had declined mentally and he was placed in an Alzheimer’s care unit for his and Naomi’s safety. He died there in 1997. Naomi died in 2009 after ten years in Marion Manor.

He is remembered as a strong father with strong family values. I was at times wary of his stern discipline and temper. However, he was quick with praise and affection, too, always expressing pride in his kids.