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Joe
Baker, came here in 1864, he was one of Jefferson County's first settlers, passed
away last Thursday.
The death of Joseph Baker removes another of the earlier settlers
of this vicinity.
Mr. Baker leaves one brother, Andy Baker, who is
the last of six of the Baker brothers who settled near Fairbury during
the closing days of the Civil War, nearly sixty years ago.
Joseph
Baker was born August 15, 1835, at Jacksonboro, Tenn., and died at Fairbury,
Nebr., April 28, 1921, at the age of 85 years, 8 months and 13
days.
When nine years old he moved with his parents to Ray county,
Missouri, where he lived until the beginning of the Civil war when he
enlisted in the Southern Army and served until the close of the war.
He came
to Jefferson County in 1864 and took a homestead just west of
Fairbury across the Little Blue river. He lived in this county until
1902 when he went to Perkins county, Nebr., to live with his children, but
two years ago returned to Fairbury, the altitude in western Nebraska being to
high for his health.
He was married to Miss Lulu Morrison in June,
1870 and nine children were born to them. Two died in infancy, the others
being Mrs. Chas.Busing and Edith Baker of Fairbury; J.C. Baker of
Gothenburg, Nebr.; J. D., J. M., T. J. and A. J. Baker of Elsie, Nebr., all of
whom were at his bedside when he died except J.C. Baker of Gothenberg. His
wife died four years ago.
Short funeral services were held in Fairbury
at 2:30 Friday afternoon and the remains were taken to Elsie, Nebr.,
accompanied by all the children, where services were held and burial made
beside his wife in the Elsie cemetery.
Joseph Baker was one of the
older of the six Baker brothers, who, in the order of their ages were, Dan,
William, Joe, John, Andy and Henry. All are gone but Andy.
A writer of
Fairbury history has said of them: “The Baker boys were among the first
pioneers of the county, coming from the State of Missouri, in the years
1863-4-5. “They homesteaded land lying close together and worked in
common for many years, in the pioneer days. Their main business at the
homesteads was farming and the raising of livestock. Like nearly all the
early settlers, they freighted across the “Plains” to earn their
livelihood, during the summer months. The Baker boys freighted down the Santa
Fe Trail during 1864-5-6, besides some between their place and
the Missouri River. “While the boys did not take an active part in the
politics of the county, nevertheless they had the best interest and welfare
of the people ever in mind, and had they been of different political
faith, perhaps most of their names would have been enrolled as public
men. “As a family the Bakers are one of the best known and popular of the
county.”
The Fairbury Journal, Thursday, May 5, 1921
Transcribed
and Contributed by: Kristin Vaughn
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