Howard Baker

HOWARD ELWAIN BAKER

Howard Elwain Baker, 98, departed from this life after a brief illness on Tuesday, December 11, 2012, in Lamoni, Iowa, where he was a resident for the past two years, at the Lamoni Nursing and Rehabilitation Home. A former citizen of Denison, Iowa, for over 60 years, Howard was born the eldest of four children to Paul B. Baker and Gladys Harriet Walker on April 6, 1914, in Pisgah, Iowa. Howard is preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Opal (Ball), who passed away on April 12 at the age of 93 earlier this year, his parents, and two sisters, Susan Potter of Fresno, California, and Pauline Maaske of Mount Vernon, Iowa.
Howard is survived by his three children, Paul Baker and his wife, Candi, Lawrence, Kansas; David Baker and his wife, Linda, Blue Springs, Missouri; and his daughter, Linda Phillips and her husband, Larry, Lamoni, Iowa; one sister, Margaret Corrine Johnston, 93, La Verne, California; six grandchildren, Chanda Baker, Gladstone, Missouri; Danika (Baker) Rowe and her husband, Michael, Columbus, Nebraska; Michael Phillips, Corning, Iowa; Anne (Phillips) Shaffer and her husband, Jim, York, Pennsylvania; Jennifer (Baker) Valente and her husband, Justin, Kirkland, Washington; and Jonathan Baker, Kansas City, Missouri; five great-grandchildren, Elizabeth, Katherine, and Michael Rowe III, Connor and Aubrey Shaffer, and Owen David Valente. Other survivors include numerous nieces and nephews with whom he had a special relationship.
Howard was born in 1914 in the home of his Uncle Art and Aunt Susie (Walker) Lee, where his family lived at the time. Later they moved to Howard's childhood home in Pisgah, which is still standing today. Howard's mother joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as an adult and raised her children in that faith. Howard was baptized in the RLDS Church in Pisgah at the age of eight and maintained his membership until his death. His parents operated a small grocery store and meat market in Pisgah, where Howard worked and learned his business acumen. An avid reader and an above average student, Howard graduated in 1931 from Pisgah High School. After graduation, he decided to go to California, since there wasn't any work in the area. Finding himself homesick and without work, Howard headed back home. In 1933, he bought an old pool hall for $100 and ran it until 1936 and sold it for $1200. In that same year, he worked building dikes on the Missouri River--the only time he ever drew a paycheck. In the following years, he always created his own businesses.
In January of 1937, Howard, at the age of 23, secured a distributorship franchise for 7-Up beverages in 50 of the towns surrounding Denison. He always said it was really rough going, and if he hadn't been able to get home and eat with his folks a couple times a week, he would have starved. It took about three years before he could see progress and growth in the business. During this time, he met and married the love of his life, Opal Ball, who was working as a waitress in Cassidy's Caf in Denison, where he delivered 7-Up. They were married in Pisgah on March 29, 1940. Joining this union in 1942 was their son, Paul Arthur, in 1943, their son, David Howard, and in 1950, their daughter, Linda Susan.
In 1944, Howard was drafted into the Army and served as a clerk general at Camp Carson, Colorado, until his discharge in 1946. During this time, his wife and Carl Buckheit kept their 7-Up business together using the basement of their house on 17th street in Denison as the distribution center, while hiring drivers to make the deliveries. Once Howard returned from the Army and in the years following, his business grew and he built a new warehouse in 1949 on Highway 30 in Denison. He added trucks and salesmen and another addition to the warehouse in 1959. Both sons helped with the business by unloading trucks and making deliveries during their high school years and by doing store promotions during the summers. After 29 years in the business, building it from a one pick-up truck operation to three large beverage trucks, Howard sold the business to Leo Bruck of Manning Creamery, who rented the warehouse as a distribution point.
Two years later Howard started a vending business of bulk nuts, candy and gum in a 40-mile radius around Denison. He continued in the vending business from 1968 until the year 2000, when he reached the age of 86 and decided to sell his locations of 500 vending machines. Also, during their married lifetime, Howard and Opal owned a 220-acre farm in Harrison County, purchased in 1943 and sold in 1957, and a meat market in Fort Wayne, Indiana, purchased in 1966 and sold in 1969. During the early 1970's, they owned a trailer-arcade and Howard toured with several carnivals each summer. One year Howard and Opal rented a motor home and pulled the arcade working fairs from February to April in Florida, Louisiana, and Missouri.
Over the years, Howard and Opal traveled extensively by car, motor home, airplane, ship, and railroad. They have been in every state in the United States except Idaho and every province in Canada except Newfoundland. They have traveled across the northern part of Mexico. For their 50th wedding anniversary, they toured Australia, New Zealand and Fiji Island. They cruised the Alaskan coastline on one trip and sailed through the Panama Canal on another.
In the Denison community, Howard was a member of the American Legion from 1946 and served as Historian in past years. In 1964, Howard and Opal became Charter Members of Crawford County Historical Society and Life Members in 1976 with Howard serving on the Membership Drive and Opal serving as Vice-President. Howard always encouraged Opal with her many activities with the Community of Christ Church, the Norelius Community Library Board, Denison's school activities, the Denison Country Club and her many golf outings, as well as all the community activities that earned her the "Citizen of the Year" award for Denison in 1985. Howard and Opal faithfully attended all their children's activities, especially their sons' basketball games, becoming loyal fans by celebrating their wedding anniversary every year for over forty years by attending the state high school basketball tournament in Des Moines.
Howard was an avid fisherman, making many trips in his motor home, pulling his boat behind him, to surrounding lakes and rivers as well as trips to Canada with his son, Paul, and many of his special fishing buddies in Denison. He loved doing crossword puzzles and reading until his eyesight recently prohibited him from even watching television. He was known for his great mathematical acumen and for his memory, which he maintained well into his nineties.
Visitation is scheduled for Friday, December 14, 2012, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Huebner Funeral Home in Denison and the funeral service will be held at the Denison Community of Christ Church on Saturday, December 15, at 10:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided following the service. Burial will be in Woodbine Cemetery, Woodbine, Iowa. Memorials in Howard's name may be made to the American Legion of Denison or the Denison Community of Christ Church and sent to the Huebner Funeral Home, 1437 Broadway, Denison, Iowa, 51442.