Edward L. Baker

Edward Louis Baker, 97, a Murphysboro original, passed away at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 28, 2017, at the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna, IL. Edward was born at home on December 30, 1919, in Levan Township to the late Harlen L. and Edna Smith Baker. His father moved the family to Murphysboro, being raised in a home on South 17th street. In those days, the city water stopped at what is now known at the Blankenship offices. He attended Lincoln School and Logan School during the years Logan School was the junior high. While in high school, he was a paper boy for the Chicago paper. He and his brothers were known as the Baker boys who knew the area well. Be it summer or winter, they used Stecher's Lake. They were also known to frequent the GM&O railroad trestle over the Big Muddy River and High Rock and many others. He came of age working in his father’s barber shop on 10th street across from the Courthouse. After graduation, he was a full-time licensed barber. Like many young men during the approach of war, he enlisted in mid-1941 in the Army Air Corps and was in training in Biloxi with Christmas leave when December 7th came. Ed was assigned to a brand-new airplane and new unit in early 1942. He was a flight engineer on a B-26 and in the 442nd squadron on the 320th bomb group. In the final training for all these new flyers, the saying of the time was “one a day in Tampa Bay.” They were one of the first groups to fly the southern leg and followed the landings of operation Torch in North Africa. The squadron saw action regularly and then was assigned to attack targets in Sicily and Italian Campaigns. He was shot down twice, the second time spending 33 hours in the Mediterranean in a rubber raft with severe injuries. After rescue, he was patched up and sent home to train new fliers at bases in Kentucky and Michigan. He was a recipient of the Air Medal for Valor and also received the Purple Heart. The end of WWII came and he returned home to work in his father’s barber shop. In 1947 he founded Murphysboro Beauty and Barber Supply Company. For the next 30 years, he supplied shops with everything they needed to operate a business. It was during one of those sales calls that he met the love of his life, Betty Lou Huch. They were united in marriage in 1948 and enjoyed a great life together until Betty’s passing in 2001. When he thought it was time to sell and start the next part of life, he accepted a part-time job at Westroads Liquor in Carbondale. He loved people and worked with them at Westroads for 20 plus years. He was a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce which lobbied in Springfield to build Lake Murphysboro State Park. The Junior Chamber also purchased a new police car in the early post-war years. He was an avid golfer and was a member of the Jackson County Country Club and saw the addition of the back nine and other improvements. He was a regular with many friends at local tournaments and was the winner of the Gib Htuom Open (turn letters around) with his pals J.T. Blankenship, Bill Haury, Soggy Ward, Harold Koehn, Jim Kirk and so many other dear friends. Edward or “Eddie” was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Murphysboro, Paul Stout Post 127 American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars V.F.W. Post 7190 in Murphysboro, and the Murphysboro Elks Lodge #572 Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Doris Baker, and one daughter, Kristie (Baker) Martinets, all of Dallas, TX; four grandchildren, Shawn Baker, Jarrod Martinets, Jim Godard, and Jennifer Godard; six great-grandchildren, K.C. McBride, Cory McBride, Matthew Godard, Nathan Godard, Aaron Finley and Spencer Godard. In addition to his parents and wife, he was also preceded in death by one granddaughter, two brothers, William L. and Donald E. Baker, and two sisters, Maxine Pieron and Elizabeth Schnur. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 1, 2017, at Crawshaw Funeral Home in Murphysboro. Rev. Josemon Hoem of the Immanuel Lutheran Church will officiate, and burial with military rites by Paul Stout Post 127 American Legion will follow at Pleasant Grove Memorial Park near Murphysboro. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials are the preferred form of remembrance and may be made to the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Murphysboro.

Edward L. Baker

December 30, 1919 - January 28, 2017