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Lieut. Herman Baker of the Naval Reserve Air Corps was killed in
a mountain crash of his plane, Wednesday, according to a telephone message from his wife
to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy C. Baker of Rivermines late yesterday afternoon.
The body will be flown by a navy plane to St. Louis and brought to the home of his
parents. His wife, the former Miss Mary Jane Frank of Bonne Terre, and his year old son,
Michael Roy, who have been living at Watsonville, Calif., will accompany the body here.
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Lieut. Baker was reared in this community, was a graduate of Flat River Junior College and
had been in the service of his country for almost four years. Besides his widow, son
and parents, he is survived by one brother, Ralph Baker of Elvins, and three sisters,
(Iris Lee) Mrs. John Victor and (Billie) Mrs. Melvin Cissell of Flat River and (Hilma)
Mrs. Darwin Yoder of Bonne Terre.
Published by the LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri. Dec. 31, 1943.
LIEUT. HERMAN BAKER TO BE BURIED
SUNDAY, JANUARY 9
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, January 9, 1944,
at the Flat River Presbyterian Church, for Lieut. Herman Baker of the Naval Reserve Air
Corps, who lost his life in an airplane crash on Wednesday of last week in California.
The body is expected to arrive in Bismarck this morning at
12:30 o'clock and will be brought to the Caldwell Funeral Home, where it will remain until
the hour of services. The Rev. John T. Stewart of St. Louis will conduct the service at
two o'clock, to be followed by interment in St. Francois Memorial Park. Military rites
will be conducted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Flower girls will be members of the
V.F.W. Auxiliary.
Herman Joseph Baker, eldest son of Roy Baker and Sudie Laxton
Baker, was born at Centerville, Reynolds County, Missouri on August 13, 1913, and departed
this life December 29, 1943, at the age of 30 years 4 months 16 days.
At the age of 14 years he moved to Flat River, Mo., with his
parents, where he lived until enlisting in the United States Naval Air Reserve Corps in
June, 1940.
He was united in marriage on October 30, 1938 to Miss Mary
Jane Frank of St. Louis, who with one son, Michael Roy, survives.
He also leaves to mourn his passing his mother and father, Mr.
and Mrs. Roy C. Baker of Rivermines; a grandfather, O. P. Laxton; a brother, Ralph Baker
of Elvins; three sisters: (Iras Lee) Mrs. John Victor, and (Billie) Mrs. Melvin Cissell,
of Flat River and (Hilma) Mrs. Darwin Yoder of Bonne Terre and numerous other relatives,
besides a host of friends.
Herman attended Flat River Schools and was a graduate of Flat
River Junior College. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on June 1, 1940, and
was called on June 15. He had one month of training at Robertson Field, spent two weeks in
the Great Lakes area and later was sent to Pensacola, Fla., for cadet training.
Seven months later he graduated and was commissioned an
Ensign. He remained there as instructor for a time before being transferred to Corpus
Christi, Texas, as an instructor. There he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (j.g.)
and later made a Lieutenant.
In September, 1943, he was transferred to Alameda, Calif.,
where he was stationed as an instructor, and on December 26th was sent to Watsonville,
Calif. His family here had received a letter on December 26th, in which he stated he would
probably be sent to a combat zone within a month, with a probable stop-over at Pearl
Harbor. He was flying alone at the time of the accident, the cause of which has not yet
been determined.
Published by the LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri.
Jan. 7, 1944.
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