The article on the following pages is taken from the
Our Sunday Visitor-Omaha Archdiocesan True Voice Edition Written by Grace Welsh Lutgen
Dated: Sunday, April 17, 1949
My special thanks to Lois N. (Ross) Snyder of Walthill, NE, Granddaughter of Emma Baker, for the photo above and a copy of this article.
Wayne, Nebr.–In these days of unrest and worry over possible depression and hard times it is well to look into the life stories of some of our pioneers, especially those who migrated from far away countries to make themselves a new life in our America.
Mrs. Wendel Baker of Wayne, Nebraska is one such person who’s almost 93 years have been an inspiration and joy to all who know her. Born August 10, 1856, in Beillingheim, Province of Baden, Germany, her mind is clear and alert today, she does her own housekeeping in her modern bungalow and enjoys her radio program and her newspapers. A devout Catholic all her life, she regrets having to miss Mass on Sundays during the recent severe Winter.
“From my earliest remembrance” states Mrs. Baker, “Our family walked two miles to early Mass there in Germany. Then we walked back home to eat dinner and back again for Vesper service. We had no way to ride and it was a long hard walk for small children–those eight miles. I was the fifth child in a family of eight, so babies weren’t carried very long.”
When asked about her own family of nine children, Mrs. Baker said proudly, ” We never missed a Sunday 8 o’clock Mass no matter what the weather or how bad the roads, even though we lived three miles from town. Every Saturday night I would give each child his bath and piled nine little piles of clean clothes about the room ready for them to put on next morning. The older children helped the younger ones to dress before they had their breakfast. But, there was never any quarreling because they were taught it was their duty and their privilege to attend Mass.
“And I suppose you always do your part in financing your church?” The question was unnecessary for everyone acquainted with Mother Baker knows of her charities and her especial gift to her Parish cemetery. But her answer was characteristic of her.
“Yes. We always made our church a first in our lives. That was the reason we always made good profit on our land deals. Of course, we worked hard from morning till night, as did many of our neighbors who never made a go of it. But we always felt that God helped us, knowing He would get his share of the profits.”
Her brown eyes twinkled as she spoke of present day food sales and parish benefits.
“These days our women think if they give a chicken or a cake or even two pies they are giving a lot. With a hired man or two, my nine children, much farm work like raising chickens, milking and churning butter I would bring in a clothes basket full of food. Two baked hams, four pies, a big cake, coffee cakes, and as much as 5 gallons of baked beans.”
Even today, the memory of those duties brought a look of satisfaction and pride to her face.
Yes, love of her God and faithful service to her church is still the first interest in her life.
This was given tangible evidence when a monument was donated to Wayne Catholic cemetery and dedicated on her 85th birthday. A marble base 2 feet 10 inches by 6 feet extends 4 feet above the ground. A copper cross is 20 feet high, a replica of one on which Jesus was crucified and holds the marble likeness of Jesus.
Inscribed above the figure of Christ are the letters “I.N.R.I.” standing for Latin words meaning “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The memorial is used as a place for saying field masses.
Mrs. Baker recalls that the last words her father said to her back in 1860 when he said goodbye there on the deck of the steam ship that was taking her, a girl of fourteen, to America, and alone, were–“Don’t forget your God and He won’t forget you.”
“And I never forgot those words and surely God never forgot me even if I did go through some bitter times and many heart aches.” Her works were a wonderful testimony to her great faith in God.
Like many other pioneer stories, the life of this German-born mother had its share of thrills and adventure as well as of struggles and toil. The daughter of Sebastian and Mary Nies, a brick maker in Beillingheim, she helped carry form-filled clay to the drying racks when only a child of five. Later when attending school in the village, all her spare time was spent helping with the bricks.
When Amelia, the oldest daughter of the family, was nineteen, four families from the little village immigrated to America and Amelia came with them. The group settled in Lincoln, Illinois, where Amelia secured housework in a butcher’s home. While there, she met a young farmer, Peter Baker, whose father had died leaving the farm to be run by his two sons and his wife. But, the mother was ill and Amelia was asked to come to the farm and help care for her. At the death of the mother, Peter and Amelia were married.
By 1860, two children were born to them, but Amelia was so homesick that Peter had written to ask if one of the sisters would come to her here in America if he sent passport and fare. Fourteen-year-old Emma was chosen to go.
“Weren’t you afraid? Were you sea sick?” I asked.
“Was to green to be afraid at first,” laughed my grey haired friend, “And I never was sea-sick one day. I was about the only one who could eat and soon there was nothing to do but look out on all that water. Before the fourteen days on the ocean were over, I was so scared I wanted to jump in and drown. It wasn’t much better when we embarked, either. There seemed to be some relative or friend calling for all the
passengers but me. Nearly all had gone before a little old man came asking for me. When the captain took his name and saw it was the one on the letter I carried, he had me go with him. He was a hotelkeeper and he kept me there three days before I got a train for Lincoln, Ill. Surely my Lord was with me those days.”
Mrs. Baker shook her head and sighed in sympathy for that lonely, frightened girl of long ago.
“And your sister met you when you reached Lincoln?” I broke into her reverie.
“No. Peter sent his young brother Wendel to see if I would be on that train, he took me to the farm and to Amelia.”
“And you to fell in love and were married!” Here was romance at last.
“Not so quick” Mrs. Baker was serious with the remembering, “I was only a girl of fourteen then and Wendel was a bashful boy in his teens.
“No. I worked for my sister more than two years. Helping with the housework and their farm work and taking care of the babies–there were four of them before I left. I got only a few clothes but of course, I had to pay back for my ticket and the cost of bringing me here to this country. Then I got a job working for a lawyer’s family at $3 a week, and the work was so light I never felt I earned that much. Later I worked for the County Poor Farm where I earned $4 a week.”
“You saw Wendel and your sister’s family quite often, I suppose?”
“Peter and Amelia couldn’t make the farm pay, so they sold their share to Wendel and they moved to Nebraska to homestead. Then Wendell came to tell me he had taken on this debt and wanted to marry, I was so anxious for a home of my own that I wasn’t afraid of the risk. I said I could help pay off the debt and that February 1876, we were married. I was twenty then and Wendel nearly twenty-five. We raised pigs, chickens, ducks, and everything that would help bring in money. I worked right in the fields to take the place of a hired man and we began paying off. Our first baby was born that first year too.
“Well” continued Mrs. Baker as she relived the triumph of those first hard years, “we had the quarter clear of debt by 1881 and found a buyer who gave us $60 an acre. So we moved to Iowa where we bought a half-section with the money, this land only cost us $30 an acre. We had quite a growing family by then and needed more land. Then seven years later or in 1888, we sold this place for $80 an acre and moved out to Wayne County Nebraska near Peter and Amelia and their ten children. We bought a half-section at $30 and settled down for keeps with our seven children. The last two were born here, and all nine grew to maturity and into homes of their own right in this community.”
It was a common household duty, Mrs. Baker added, to bake as many as twenty-five loaves of bread in a single morning to care for the family needs and for thrashers. The
family went through the great blizzard of 1888 without any personal loss as they had their sheds near the house and adequate supplies of feed near at hand. She recalls corn selling at 26c a bushel, butter at 15c a pound and dressed chickens brought 25c each.
In 1900, Mr. Baker fell from a windmill and never completely recovered. So the oldest son took over the farm and the family moved to Wayne. The youngest child was fourteen years old when Mr. Baker died. A year later, a daughter died leaving 2 children. Mrs. Baker took the 2 year old baby. She gave her a high school and college education and sent her to Omaha where she graduated as a trained nurse.
Mrs. Baker continued her husband’s brand of financial dealing selling two quarters at $100 and buying western land again at $30. Now her farms furnish ample income for her own needs and her many charities. She never returned to her homeland and never had a desire to do so. One younger brother came to America and became a successful land owner, and the youngest sister still lives on the family home in Germany near the brick yard. Mrs. Baker sends generous supplies to her and her family since the last war. Until 1945, she drove her own car, better at 89 than many younger drivers of the community.
A faithful member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Wayne, the oldest living member of the parish, Mother Baker is loved by all people of all creeds. Her philosophy gained through 93 years of active living is evidenced by many of her wise sayings.
Worry does more harm than work.” ” Be moderate in all things.” “Good neighbors are priceless assets.” “Be thrifty and live within your income and don’t ask the government to support you and your family. Do that yourself.” But above all others she advises, as did her father before her, “Don’t forget your God and He won’t forget you.”
Members of the Wendel & Emma Baker family at the cross dedication in 1940.
Louise Baker Thompson, Gertrud Baker Ross, Helen Baker Herschied, Mrs. Wendel (Emma) Baker, William (Bill) Sebastian Baker, Carl Baker.
