Wilma L. Baker

Wilma L. Baker, 85, died March 27, 2008, at Grandview Nursing Home in Marshalltown.Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at St. Henrys Catholic Church with Father Don Czapla officiating. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 4th at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home with a vigil service held at 7:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to Iowa River Hospice. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. The Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Wilma and her family. Ph. 641-844-1234. Born February 12, 1923, in State Center, Wilma was the daughter of Howard C. Buck and Erma D. Newton Buck. She lived with her parents near LaMoille and then in rural State Center. While in high school, she played basketball as one of The 3 Bs, starting forwards whose last names all began with B. She graduated from Melbourne High School in 1940 and attended Marshalltown Community College a year before transferring to Iowa State University. While at Iowa State, she met Gene Baker who was waiting tables in her dining hall. Wilma and Gene were married June 3, 1944, at the base chapel in Lubbock, Texas, where Gene was stationed with the US Army Air Corps prior to serving overseas. Wilma worked at Anheuser-Busch in the corn processing lab while Gene was overseas. Following World War II, they farmed for 44 years, first in Webster County for five years where they were named the GI Farm Family of the Year. In 1951, they moved to Bakers Akers southeast of State Center where they farmed until they retired in 1990. For many years, Wilma worked in the field side by side with Gene, running the combine and driving tractors. She served as a 4-H leader, was active at St. Josephs Catholic Church and in the Rosary Society and then a member of St. Henrys Church, was a member of Happy Hour Club and a long time member of P.E.O. Chapter CF, worked at the Central Iowa Fairgrounds, was a charter member of the Marshall County Porkettes and the Lincoln Valley Golf Course, and was named Wallaces Farmers Iowa Master Farm Homemaker. Wilma enjoyed playing 500, ballroom dancing, Iowa State basketball, and genealogy. She and Gene were great travelers; she loved to talk about her visits to all 50 states and many different countries. Wilma was also a terrific cook, and she will be remembered for all of the pecan pies and raspberry jam that she shared, her signature homemade birthday cakes with pink and green frosting, and freezing thousands of pints of corn. In 2000, Gene and Wilma moved to the Embers in Marshalltown, where Gene still resides. Survivors include Gene, her husband of 63 years; sons Dennis (Kathy) of Clemons and Robert (Mary) of The Villages, Florida; a daughter Joan (Matt) Aten of Las Vegas, Nevada; five grandchildren: Leslie (John) Potter, Michael (Jesi) Baker, Laurie Baker, Erin Aten and Kyle Aten; three step grandchildren: Shelly, Ted (Tonya) and Curt Potter; six great-grandchildren; three step great-grandchildren; sisters Dorothy (Ted, deceased) Campbell of Cedar Rapids and Marilyn (Cliff) Nobriga of Kailua, Hawaii. She is preceded in death by her parents, a brother Wayne (Eleanor) Buck and a sister Edith Buck.