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Wyona Vincent Baker age 97, passed away Friday, March 19, 2021. She was the youngest of six children born to Jacob and Bertha (Hosplehorn) Vincent. There were twins, Howard (Pauline) and Hazel (Gerald) Mendenhall, sister, Willette (Melvin) Stafford, brother Verne (Irene) and twins, Wyota (Walter) Stark and Wyona (Don) Baker. She grew up on a farm in Lucas County Iowa, and attended the rural one -room country schools sometimes walking through rain, snow and sleet to get to school. She graduated from Chariton High School in 1941 with normal training teachers certificate and taught two years.
As a youth she attended the United Brethern Church in Chariton. After her marriage she went to the Last Chance Church near their farm, where she was an active member and many were blessed by her leadership. One Easter’s service fourteen youth were baptized.
Wyona was married to Don Baker on May 27, 1944. They had two sons. Vincent was born June 22, 1945 and Frank, February 5, 1949.
They were proud of their family, two sons, Vincent (Mary) and Frank (Bonnie), six grandchildren, Fran (Chad) Freeman, Sarah (Clayton) Slater, Kirk (Linda McGrew) Baker, Chris (Lynn) Baker, Laura (Eric) Kitchen, Paul (Kellie) Baker and 17 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild. She enjoyed spending time with them, attending their activities, helping with their church youth groups, 4H, and other projects.
It was a difficult time for her when her husband, two sons and other family member joined the U.S. Service and were far from home serving their country.
Wyona and Don started their married life together both hired by a retired Clinton Iowa farmer where the son had recently been killed in a car accident. Don took over the farm operations and Wyona cared for his flock of 300 laying hens. They wanted to farm on their own so scrimped and saved to buy broken machinery that they repaired and with a bank loan they had enough equipment to rent a farm.
Later on they met the qualifications to get an FHA Government loan to buy a farm in Clarke Co. to where they lived until they retired and sold it to buy a home in Chariton. As a farmer’s wife she worked very hard, choring, keeping the yard well-trimmed, and weeding her garden. She loved to bake and cook and used the fresh vegetables when serving a big family dinner feeding a hungry crew of farm hands. They looked forward to her coming to the fields on their break with a basket filled with lemon cookies and sandwiches that were made with her big red juicy tomatoes and delicious homemade bread and butter. She helped Don with the farming operating the machinery. Every day her little dog Regal rode with her in the big John Deer Tractor. They also owned their own semi-truck to haul their grain to market and freight for other industries throughout the U.S. She helped drive the eighteen wheeler cross country. They spent many winters in Texas where he drove a cement truck and she was busy keeping house. She went shopping to garage sales for things to recycle and being very creative could make most anything useful again. The colorful warm blankets she made helped to keep them warm back home in Iowa’s cold winters. In her years time she liked to paint and was so happy when her oil paintings entry of Oak Creek Canyon was chosen to hang in the gallery at Sedona Arizona’s annual art contest. It was a special day for her when she attended the Iowa Farm Safety Essay Contest Awards Banquet held in Des Moines, IA where she was awarded $50.00 first place winner and was interview on WHO radio. She was very happy and so proud. As a memento they gave her husband a tie clip that is the imagine of a slow moving vehicle sign. When she would have to use her walker to get around, she mounted the tie clip “slow moving vehicle” to keep her safe as she wheeled very slowly in the hallways of her apartment complex.
Wyona had many health problems over the years, but with her courage, trust in God and the wonderful care from her doctors for forty years, she lived a very long life.
She passed away Friday, March 19, 2021, at the age of 97 and now at home with God up in heaven forever more. Don passed away July 17, 2001. Preceding her in death was her husband, mother, father, brothers, sisters and their spouses. Irene Vincent her sister-in-law is the only one living. Surviving are her two sons and their wives, six grandchildren and wives and seventeen great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandson, nieces, nephews, and other relatives.
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