Burnet County TxGenWeb
Memories and Mementos Are Wonderful
Transcribed
by Shelley Dawn (Everett) Musgrove on 4-28-2004
 Well the 16th Day of May 1967 we Walter Elmer Baker born Sept. 4th, 1807 and Ora Clyde Williams born Oct. 15th, 1896 will have been married 50 years. It has been 50 happy years of happiness for both of us. God has been very good to us, He blessed us with three little girls and a son. It was very sad indeed when God saw fit to take our son from us but we know He knoweth and doeth all things for the best. God gave he took he will restore, he doeth all things well and I have felt sure that God needed him in heaven and called him home to help him, which he was so willing to do while here on earth. But I pray that we shall all live so we can be reunited in that beautiful city not made with hands where there will be no more suffering or death. On May 16th 1917 we drove to Burnet Texas in a buggy and came to Cousin Mat Jones Hotel and she wanted us to eat lunch with her so Walter and Hubert Hall went to see Bro. Morgan Morgans who was pastor of the Christian Church and also came to Mahomet to preach for us. He said he could marry us so we ate lunch and then drove back to Bro. Morgans home, Sis. Morgan wanted us to come in the house but we didn't we sat in the buggy and he stood beside the buggy and performed the ceremony. Hubert Hall and Zeula went with us. We drove back to Mama's that night and spent the night, the next day we moved into the house with Link and Nellie Walter's oldest brother and wife. We helped them gather their crop. That fall we bought enough furniture for [dollar amount illegible] to start housekeeping and moved in a little house close to my Grandfather and Grandmother Williams. Maxine was born while we lived there but I went to my mothers Mary Ellen Williams and it was there that she was born on Sept. 1st 1918. She was a tiny thing weighing only 6 lbs. She was bald headed until she was one yr. old her hair begin to grow and was very curly. I remember when she was a small girl during World War I. The service boys used the remark going over the top so Walter and I were picking cotton and I was going to the wagon to weigh my cotton and I wanted her to go with me and of course Walter was going on out to the end of the row and she said no mamma I want to go over the top with Daddy. We moved to Briggs Texas and Walter worked in the Drug Store for Dr. P.N. Cheatam. He was the Dr. who delivered Maxine. We lived there about 1 yr. then we moved to Florence Texas and stayed there about a yr. Walter worked in the garage for Dee Sullivan we then moved to my mothers and Walter made one crop there. We then moved in the house with Grandma and Grandpa Williams and their son Uncle George Williams who was a widdower. We lived there for seven years. It was in this house that our son Walter Elmer Baker Jr. was born on May 2nd 1924 and Dr. T. D. Vaughn of Bertram Texas was the Dr. who delivered him into our family. Then in this same house on Feb. 20th 1928 Dr. T.D. Vaughn also delivered Janell Baker into our family. On July 23rd 1929 Dr. O. B. Atkinson of Florence Texas drove to this same house and left our third little girl being the fourth child in the family. We had lived in this house and cared for my Grandmother and Grandfather for seven yrs. By this time both of them had passed away. We then bought us a home 6 _ miles Northeast of Burnet. We lived there 9. I think that was the happiest years of our life with our family watching our little ones grow up. We then bought us a lot in Burnet built us a new home and moved into it in Feb of 1936. We lived there until 1956 we sold this place and moved out on highway 29-E where we are living at this time. We enjoy all our children when they come home and all our friends dropping in. But we have tried to live as near right as we know how and I pray when we pass on God will say, well done thy good and faithful servants. Maxine Baker Everett was born Sept. 1st 1918 at Mahomet Texas and was born at her Grandmother Williams (my mother) Mrs. Ellen Williams home. Dr. P.N. Cheatam was the attending physician and those present were her Grandmother Williams her Grandmother Sarah Baker her Aunt Hattie Burch. She was our pride and joy being our first child. She grew to the age of 17 when she was married to Gilbert Everett son of Audley and Gladys Everett by Rev. Carl Schlomach in Burnet Texas on Dec. 25th 1935. They moved to Menard Texas and there was where their oldest son Michael Maurice was born on May 29th 1939 in a private hospital. Dr. Hume was the attending physician an Miss Streigler was her nurse. I went out and stayed with her in the hospital until she was able to go home then I stayed with her until Mike was two wks old. Walter came after me and I remember Mike had so much long black hair he looked like a girl. So Walter gave him a boy hair cut. He never did act or look like a baby. They moved to Round Rock Texas Mar 22nd 1944. Joe Allen Everett came to live with the family. He was born at the home of his Grandparents Walter and Ora Baker in Burnet Texas. The attending physician was Dr. T.D. Vaughn of Bertram Tex. Mrs. Raymond Hallum was also present. Nov. 10, 1943 Ted Tennyson Everett was born in the home of his grandparents Walter and Ora Baker Burnet Texas to join his parents and other two brothers. His attending physician was Dr. T.D. Vaughn of Bertram Texas. Dr. Vaughn had been to Burnet to a football game and had just returned to Bertram when we called him to come to Burnet. It was thundering and lightning and raining that night the electricity all went off and I had to get out the old coal oil lamps. But Dr. Vaughn and I delivered this husky baby boy and I cleaned the baby up and dressed him and Dr. Vaughn changed Max bed and all. We were then ready for a good cup of coffee and talk over old times as he had been our family Dr. and delivered two of my own children. On Dec. 27, 1947 Don Neil Everett made his appearance at St. Johns Hospital in Taylor Texas. When Maxine was ready to leave the hospital I went down and rode home in the ambulance with Maxine and Don Neil. The ambulance driver told me if we needed help to tap on the glass in the back of the cab. Don Neil was in a baby bassinette. When we were about halfway to Burnet we smelled smoke and since we neither smoked I tapped on the glass and they stopped and came back and we got to searching for the fire and found that it was coming from the bassinette and the little new satin baby quilt was fire and had burned a hole about the size of a silver dollar. I don't know what they thought but we were so thankful it hadn't burned our baby.
Walter Elmer Baker our second pride and joy came to live with his parents Walter and Ora Baker and older sister Max on May 2nd 1924. Dr. T.D. Vaughn was his attending physician. He finished high school in Burnet Tex May 1942 and volunteered into the service July 2nd 1942. Robert Parker Mrs. Raymond Hallum Mrs. Dick Kelly and myself took him to San Antonio and when he had signed up with the 1st Marines they told him he could eat lunch with us if he would be at the train at 3 o'clock to leave for California. We did and when the train left we left for home it was very sad for me and I shed many tears. But he wanted so much to go he felt that it was his duty to go. He came home in Dec. on furlough and left San Diego Calif Apr. 12th 194 [number illegible] and he was so good to write home saying how he loved home and family and friends and was always asking about people. He soon landed over seas and was in several battles. I received the last letter from him on Dec 14 1943 and he was wounded Dec 31st at Cape Gloucestor new Britain and died Jan 1st. We received word Feb 3rd 1944 and was buried near the scene of the accident. Lyndon Johnson got this information for us immediately. W.E. Baker was laid to rest near the scene of Battle where he was killed. Grave no. 4. His commanding officer took pictures of his grave and sent them to us. His body arrived home Feb. 27 1949 was laid to rest in the Burnet Cemetery section 7 block 4 now our family burying ground. A large crowd of family and friends went with us to Lampassas to meet the train when his body was returned. He was a good boy loved everyone and member of 1st Christian Church and died fighting for his country and for what he thought was right. [Newspaper accounts of W. E. Baker's Death] Janell Baker Branon was born Feb 20th 1928 at Mahomet at the home of her Great Grandparents and my Grandparents on my father's side with whom we lived at the time. Uncle Jim and Aunt Susan Williams as everyone affectionately called them. They were old at the time and they wanted Walter and I to live with them as long as they lived which we did. Uncle George their oldest son who was a widdower at the time to. Dr. T. D. Vaughn was the physician who delivered this little pride and joy being our third child. Those present at birth was her grandmother Mrs. Mary Ellen Williams her Aunt Hattie Burch and Mrs. Emma Luna. After graduating from Burnet High School she was married to Jeral Lee Branon son of Jim and Olivia Branon Burnet Texas on Mar 22nd 1947 at the home of her parents Walter and Ora Baker. On Feb 14th 1948 Brenda Kay Branon arrived at the Sheppard Memorial Hospital to live with her mother and father. She being born on Valentine Day we thought she was the sweetest Valentine we had ever seen and being the first granddaughter in the family. Brenda has graduated from High School and is no in Breckenridge School of Nursing and University of Texas. Our fourth pride and joy Movelda Baker was born July 23rd 1929 at the home of her great grandparents Uncle Jim and Aunt Susan as she was affectionately called where we were still living. She was short and fat but weighted 10 lbs. When her Grandfather Baker looked at her he called her his little Cricket and she has always carried that nickname through school and gets her mail sometime addressed to Mrs. Cricket Baker Branon. Dr. O. B. Atkinson of Florence was the attending physician and her Grandmother Mrs. Mary Ellen Williams her Aunt Mrs. Hattie Burch and Mrs. Emma Luna was present at the time. When she graduated from Burnet High School in May. In May 13 1948 she was married to Vonda Joe Branon son of Jim and Olivia Branon. They were married at the home of her parents by Rev. McClich. On May 23rd 1952 James Lee their first child was born at the Allen Clinic. Dr. Kern was the attending physician. On June 21st 1954 Janita Branon arrived at the Allen Clinic to join her father and mother and little brother. James Lee and Janita were the last pride and joys of our Grandchildren for the Walter Bakers. We are very proud of them all. Janita like her mother has had a nickname all her life "Biddie" and I sometime have to think before I can call her right name. She was delivered at the hospital by Dr. Kern. The personal memoirs end there. The remaining two pages of the
journal are entries regarding family lineages.
Sarah Elizabith Baker
Alexander Randolph Baker's mothers name was Elizabeth Roland Absolum Williams
Mary Ellen Williams
Roland Absolum Williams and Miss Mary Ellen Stewart were married Brothers and Sisters of Walter Baker
Brothers and Sisters of Ora Baker
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