This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: Lace_Lynch Surnames: Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.baker/16214/mb.ashx Message Board Post: VERO BEACH, FL: Mrs. Wilfred C. Baker ("Willie") was a devoted wife and mother, a successful entrepreneur and sales person. She brought her unique blend of energy, candor and fun to all of these roles. Willie was born July 14, 1917 in Grafton, West Virginia. She graduated valedictorian of her class from Grafton High School. She attended West Virginia University where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. During her college years she worked as a representative for the West Virginia delegation to the Chicago World's Fair and was also selected as a princess for the West Virginia Forest Festival. At the end of her sophomore year she married her partner - for life, Alfred William Baker of Zanesville, Ohio. They shared 65 years until his passing in 2001. Willie was a hard worker, a high achiever, and a motivator who ingrained these principles in her four children. Her emphasis on education extended beyond PTA meetings. She taught her children a curriculum outside of their school assignments. She assigned them books to read and tutored them in reading comprehension and vocabulary. Two of her children were valedictorians of their Zanesville High School class and one graduated salutatorian. The values ingrained in her children have been passed on to Willie's six grandchildren. All are college educated and five have earned graduate degrees. In 1966, with her youngest child in college, Willie launched her professional career. Willie's fist job was head of marketing for her husband's bread company which conducted business throughout southeastern and central Ohio under the names of Plezol, Butternut, and Miami Made Bread. She consummated a transaction with Saga Foods to service eight area colleges. She also was awarded the contract to sell buns in the Ohio Stadium for the Ohio State University football games and negotiated contracts with Sheraton Hotels, Burger King, and Burger Boy Foodarama. After several years, Willie left the Baker Bread Company to pursue a career in real estate. She joined Rankin & Rankin, Inc. as a real estate associate. During her tenure at Rankin, she obtained her Real Estate Brokers License and GRI and CRE designations and became their top real estate producer. In 1971, she founded Wilfred Baker and Associates Realtors which became one of the largest real estate brokerage firms in Muskingum County, Ohio. Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, Wilfred Baker and Associates Realtors employed approximately thirty sales associates. Willie was actively involved in civic and community activities. She served on the board of the Helen Purcell Home and the Zanesville Chamber of Commerce. She was a past president of the Author's Club and a member of the Assembly Club, the Zanesville Country Club (Member #11), and the Johns Island Country Club. A strong willed individual, Willie was occasionally in error but never in doubt. For those of us fortunate enough to call her "friend", our lives continue to be enriched by her presence and her common sense messages on how to better ourselves. In 1986, Willie and her husband acquired a home in Johns Island, Vero Beach, Florida where she passed away on September 11, 2011 at the age of 94. She was predeceased-by her daughter Carol Baker Seidler of Darien, Connecticut and her son Alfred William Baker, Jr. ("Fritz") of New York City. Willie is survived by her daughter Barbara Baker Clemson of Vero Beach, Florida and her son Conrad Baker of Los Angeles, California, six grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.