Maurice Augustine Baker
Maurice Augustine Baker
Maurice Augustine Baker
August 27, 1931 – April 10, 2014
Oskaloosa, Iowa | Age 82
Maurice “Gus” Baker, 82, of Oskaloosa passed away early Thursday morning, April 10, 2014, at Crystal Heights Care Center in Oskaloosa.
Maurice “Gus” Augustine Baker, son of Henry Michael and Catherine Seeger Baker, was born August 27, 1931, in Atchison, Kansas. He attended St. Benedict Grade School and then Maur Hill High School in Atchison.
Gus enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 1, 1948. He served a total of six years and 14 days, of which he spent: 42 months in Austria, 13 months in Korea, and finished his service, May 14, 1954, at Fort Gordon, GA.
Gus returned to Atchison, where he worked for a masonry business, assisting in the construction of the monastery church in Atchison. He worked for a brief time at a General Motors plant in Fairfax, KS.
December 26, 1955, he married Jacquelyn R. Bean in Atchison; they were blessed with four children. They began their life together in Manhattan, Kansas where gus- attended Kansas State University for 1 ½ years.
Following his time in college Gus returned to Atchison, where he worked as a route salesman for Schultz & Birch Biscuit Company, a job he held for 2 ½ years. He then sold life insurance for Metropolitan and Prudential Insurance Companies for 7 years. He briefly owned and operated Gus’ Drive Inn and also worked for Midwest Solvent Company in Atchison. In 1969, he moved to Ottumwa where he bought interest in Henry’s Drive Inn, he worked there 4 years. Gus then attended Indian Hills Community College, where he trained in appliance repair. He opened Gus’ Home Appliance Repair, which he operated for 2 years before going to work for a year at Montgomery Wards as a service appliance repair man. He worked briefly at Vermeer, and then, in 1977 he went to work for Clow Valve Company, retiring in 1993.
Gus was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oskaloosa, where he was a Third Degree Knight of Columbus, he held the office of Grand Knight – Council 4108, Navigator of McMullen Assembly and President of My Father’s House, Inc., also known as Pray-Ri Land. He was a past Boy Scout, a member of the Elks Lodge in Atchison and a member of the American Legion Post #34.
After his retirement, Gus enjoyed mowing lawns, scrapping metal and serving as the sanitary engineer at his church.
Gus’ family includes a daughter: Catherine Louise (Danny) Roberts of Douds, IA; three sons: Christopher Thomas Baker of Germany; Stephen Michael (Teri) Baker of Iowa City; and Alan Maurice (Serena Lourie) Baker of San Francisco, CA; four grandchildren: Caitlin, Regan and Clayton Roberts and Evan Baker; two great granddaughters; three sisters: Mary Alice Snyder of Topeka, KS; Collette Mayse of Overland Park, KS; and Helen Wright of Des Moines, IA; three brothers: Al (Pat) Baker of Oklahoma; Frank Anthony (Betty) Baker of Kansas City, KS; and Rev. Richard Leo (Theresa) Baker of Arvada, CO.
Besides his parents, Gus was preceded in death by two sisters: Charlotte Chase and Kathleen Freund; five brothers: Gerard, Martin, Raymond, Thomas Baker and an infant brother, Matthew Bernard Baker; as well as an aunt, Sister Imogene Baker, O.S.B.
Mass of the Christian Burial for Gus will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 15, 2014, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oskaloosa with Rev. Jeffry Belger officiating.
Military Honors presented by the V.F.W. and the American Legion Honor Guards following the service.
Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Atchison, KS later that day.
Visitation will begin at 11 a.m., Monday, at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel.
A Christian Vigil Service will be held at 5 p.m., the family will be present following the service to greet visitors.
Memorial contributions may be made to Mt. Saint Scholastica Covenant in Atchison, KS or to New Mallary Monastery in Peosta, IA.
