Washington, D. C.--JOHN A. BAKER, 68, the assistant secretary of Agriculture for rural development and conservation from 1962 until 1969 and a former legislative director of the National Farmers Union, died of congestive heart failure March 2 at Arlington Hospital. He lived in Arlington.
Mr. Baker was a native of Paris, Ark., graduated from the University of Arkansas and earned a master's degree at the University of Wisconsin.
He moved to Washington in 1937 when he joined the Department of Agriculture as an economist. He was transferred to Arkansas in 1939 as a regional administrator with the Farm Security Administration.
During World War II, Mr. Baker served with the Navy in the Pacific. After the war, he remained in South Korea with the U.S. military government as a director of the National Land Administration.
He returned to Washington in 1949 as executive assistant to the under secretary of Agriculture.
Mr. Baker joined the National Farmers Union in 1951. He resigned in 1961 and returned to the Agriculture Department as director of agricultural credit. President Kennedy appointed him assistant secretary in 1962.
In 1964, he created the "adjusted parity ratio," which appears in the monthly USDA Agricultural Prices report to indicate the value of farm commodity program payments as an elemnt in farm income.
From 1974 until he retired in 1979, Mr. Baker was executive vice president of the National Farmers Union Green Thumb Program, a federally funded program providng community employment for the elderly.
Survivors include his wife, Susan T. Baker of Arlington; five sons, Roger, of League City, Tex., James, of West Newton, Mass., Robert, of Arlington, David, of Milwaukee, and Gordon, of Richmond; a daughter, Judith, of Richmond, and seven grandchildren. --Washington Post, The (DC) - March 5, 1982 

Merced, CA--JUANITA BALDWIN--Feb. 26, 1915 -- July 21, 1999--Juanita Baldwin, 84, of Merced died Wednesday at Sutter Merced Medical Center. Mrs. Baldwin was a native of Logan County, Ark. She lived in Merced 60 years. She was a linen clerk at Merced Medical Center. She was a member of the Church of the Nazarene, Atwater.
She is survived by her children, Bill Baldwin of Atwater, Roger Baldwin of Madera, John Baldwin of Sacramento and Helen Jones of Philadelphia; sisters, Flois Campbell and Volene Neal, both of Tulare; and 16 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
A funeral will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday at Stratford Evans Merced Chapel. Burial will follow at Merced District Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday at the chapel.  --Modesto Bee, The (CA) - July 23, 1999.

MINERAL WELLS, TX - GEORGE HARDING CALDWELL, 78, retired from the U.S. Army, died Saturday, Nov. 6, 1999, at home.
Graveside service was 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, in Indian Creek Cemetery in Palo Pinto County. George Harding Caldwell was born on Feb. 10, 1921, in Logan County, Ark.
Survivors: Wife, Bea Caldwell; sons, George "Mike" Caldwell and Larry Allen Caldwell; brothers, Hobart Caldwell, Thomas Caldwell and Joe Caldwell; sisters, Gladys Wade and Maybelline Owen; grandchildren, Michael Sean Caldwell and Christopher Allen Caldwell; great-grandchildren, Austin Michael and Ashley Ryan Caldwell; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Mineral Wells.
--Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) - November 10, 1999

RUBY J. ESKEW DYKES, 86, of Delta, MO died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007 at her residence. She was born Dec. 12, 1920 in Logan County, AR, the daughter of Dewey Lee and Nettie Brown Eskew. She and Ira B. Dykes were married Nov. 14, 1942. Dykes was a member of The Church of God of Prophecy in Delta. Survivors include her husband; a son, Roger H. Dykes of Jackson, MO; two daughters, Carol Ann Gay of Folsom, CA and Pamela Kay Powell of Jackson; two brothers, the Rev. Jimmy E. Eskew of Morley, MO, and Robert Eskew of Sedgewickville, MO; two sisters, Velma Farr of Redding, CA and Jean Wilkerson of California, MO; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by four brothers, two sisters and a grandson. Friends may call at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, MO. Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral chapel with the Rev. Dan Baggett officiating. Burial will be at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, MO.

WILLIAM ISAAC HARNESS, 65 years old, Rural Route 3, Alma, Ark. resident of Crawford County for 55 years, died at his home Sunday (Sept. 10, 1939) at 9:30 p.m. after an illness of a year.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Mary Jane (Weaver) Harness; two daughters, Mrs. Allie Freeman, Alma, Miss Okla May Harness of the home; four sons, Harrison Harness, Ruby, Ark., Elmer Harness, Colorado Springs, Colo., John and Tom Harness of Alma; and two sisters, Mrs. Ad Cecil of Dean Springs and Mrs. Nan Brewer, Denison, Texas.
The body is at the Edwards Funeral Home, Fort Smith, pending completion of funeral arrangements. (Note: William was born March 16, 1874 in Logan County, Ark. He is buried at Love Cemetery near Alma in an unmarked grave.) --Contributed by Linda McAninch.

FORT WORTH, TX - WILLIE MAE DUREN HICKS, 89, a homemaker, died Friday in North Richland Hills.
Graveside service: 2 p.m. today in Greenwood Memorial Park.
Willie Mae Duren Hicks was born Sept. 3, 1906, in Logan County, Ark., and had resided in Fort Worth since 1942. She was a charter member of St. Timothy Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Mr. Harry W. Hicks, and a grandson, Jeffery Scott Hicks.
Survivors: Son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Sally Hicks of North Richland Hills; daughter and son-in-law, Patsy and Raymond Counts of North Richland Hills; two grandchildren, Whitney Leigh Hicks Ness of Watauga and Ronnie D. Counts of Azle; and one great-grandchild, Clinton Lee Counts of Azle.
Biggers Funeral Home
--Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) - January 31, 1996

Fort Wayne, IN--JOE H. OSTENDORF, 80, died Wednesday at Goshen General Hospital. Born in Logan County, Ark., he retired as a veterinarian in 1982 after 26 years. He was a World War II Navy veteran and a recipient of the Golden Egg and Poultryman of the Year award. 

Surviving are his wife, Margaret; a daughter, Natalie Stump of Milford; a son, Joe Michael of Leesburg; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.  

Services at 2 p.m. Saturday at Eastlund Funeral Home, Mishler Chapel. Calling from 6 to 8 p.m. today.  
Burial in Milford Cemetery.  --Journal Gazette, The (Fort Wayne, IN) - August 1, 1997.

OAKDALE, CA–LUCILLE REDDING, 76, of Oakdale died Tuesday (March 11, 1997) at English Oaks Convalescent Hospital, Modesto.
Mrs. Redding was a native of Logan County, Ark, born Sept 14, 1920. She lived in Oakdale 37 years. She was a homemaker. She was a member of Oak Valley Church.
She is survived by her husband, Arvel Redding of Arkansas; children, Dr. Wayne Redding of Modesto, Bill Redding of Ceres, John Redding of Rocklin and Eva Moorhead of Fresno; brothers, Floyd Lane of Sebastapol, the Rev. Wallace Lane of Tulsa, Okla., and Roland Lane of Alma, Ark.; sisters, Lorraine Garrison of Ukiah, Velma Wolfford of Sunnyvale, Rachel Moore of Reedley and Ina Mae Pressnall of Visalia; and 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. today at Lakewood Memorial Park, Hughson. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to noon today at Oakdale Memorial Chapel.
--Modesto Bee, The (CA) - March 13, 1997.

JACKSON, KY -- WILLA MAE SHORT, who had been a community leader, died yesterday at Kentucky River Medical Center after a long illness. She was 91.
Mrs. Short was a former director of the Breathitt County Senior Citizens Center, which she helped establish, and a former chairman of the Breathitt County Senior Citizens board. She also was a past president of the Jackson Woman's Club and Jackson Garden Club.
A member of Jackson United Methodist Church since 1917, she had been a church Sunday school teacher and was a past president of United Methodist Women. She was a charter member and past president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.
Mrs. Short was a member of Daughters of America.
She was a native of Logan County, Ark., and the widow of Brack C. Short.
Surviving are two daughters, Anna Mae Dalton of Jackson and Juanita Pay of Louisville; a son, Dean H. Short of West Carrollton, Ohio; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Jackson United Methodist Church. Visitation will be after 11 a.m. today and Saturday at Deaton Funeral Home, and after 1 p.m. Saturday at the church.
--Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) - September 27, 1991

LOS ANGELES, CA–LEONA INEZ SMITH, a 26-year Ventura County resident, died Saturday at the Santa Paula Convalescent Home following a long illness. She was 95.
Smith was born Aug. 15, 1902, in Logan County, Ark. She moved to Ventura County in 1972 after living in Oklahoma. She was a longtime member of the Grace Baptist Church in Ventura, her family said.
Smith is survived by five cousins, three nephews and several great-nieces and great-nephews.
There will be a visitation from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura. The Rev. Jim Wells will officiate.
--Los Angeles Times (CA) - June 2, 1998.