Lawrence "Larry" Baker

Lawrence (Larry) Baker’s story started over 82 years ago on a balmy October day. Elna Baker of Crooks was going into premature labor with her first child, it was October 5th 1929. The Moe Hospital doctor on duty was Dr. Lamb, one of the first African American female doctors in South Dakota. Dr Lamb managed to save Lawrence during a time before penicillin or common antibiotics, and at a time when premature infant mortality rates were devastatingly high. Dr Lamb would continue as the Baker’s physician delivering all five of Lawrence’s sisters over the next two decades. Lawrence and his sisters, along with their parents, Lester and Elna Baker, were part of what the history books call ‘The Backbone of America’. They farmed the land around Crooks, South Dakota working the fields during the early part of the last century, through the depression and World War II. Lawrence began his own farming career in 1945 at 16 years old while still attending Lyons high school. Then, as the United States became entangled in the Korean conflict Lawrence and a group of his buddies went down to the local recruiter and enlisted. Lawrence signed up for the Marines.


Marine brass identified Lawrence’s strength in fire direction and he and his unit were put aboard a Navy ship touring the Mediterranean. Lawrence smiled often when recalling his tour of duty, seeing no action in their sector he volunteered to run the ships library. His smile would broaden in a conspiratorial way as he would tell visitors that since not many of the troops read for pleasure he often had the use of the library to himself, adding that whenever he needed to get out of an odious job he could use the excuse that ‘books needed to be re-shelved’ and go below decks and close the door.


In 1978 fate directed him to northern California where he met his soul mate, Pat Luther Laton. After a whirlwind romance they committed themselves to each other in a marriage ceremony conducted under the redwood trees on the rugged California coast. As an inseparable team Pat and Lawrence began a natural fiber-clothing store in their new hometown of Davis, California. The Baker’s entrepreneurial venture would become a cornerstone of the Davis economy for the next 20 years. However Lawrence’s farming roots still ran deep, so in 2003, with their children grown, they bought a home site on the edge of his boyhood neighborhood in Crooks, South Dakota. The next chapter in their life had begun.


Residents still remember that summer morning the Bakers rolled up to the curb in a road-weary truck and began unloading tools. Lawrence and Pat would spend the next three summers painstakingly building their dream home from the ground up. As a man who was used to identifying what he wanted and putting a plan into place to get it, he and Pat never were daunted by the enormity of the project, instead seeing it as a spatial and engineering challenge. They had occasional help from friends and relatives in the true ‘barn raising’ spirit and he himself would stand on the loader of the tractor to reach roof eaves. He laughed off the occasional construction injury, including falling off of a ladder while carrying 2x4s.


Lawrence was never happier than when he was working on a house project, having coffee with the guys, filling a bird feeder, triumphing over a New York Times cross word puzzle, thumbing through a stack of books, arguing politics or tending his garden. He would look out across the sea of corn stalks and talk about how fast things grow in the South Dakota soil, then walk out to the garden and point to the zucchinis as proof. Lawrence Baker was truly one of South Dakota’s native sons, an authentic representation of America’s backbone, with rich brown dirt under his fingernails and sawdust on his boots. He died comfortably at home on June 23, 2012 attended to by his wife, sister-in-law, daughter and granddaughter. The family would like to gratefully acknowledge the help of Avera Hospice nurses and personnel.


The blue house at the edge of Crooks stands as a testament to Lawrence’s unconquerable spirit, drive, accomplishment and love of his hometown. Lawrence is survived by his wife; children; Terrie, David, Neal, Keith, Karen and Cheryl and 16 rambunctious grandchildren (aged 4 to 25), as well as, sisters Mary, Carol, and Dorothy, his first wife Pat Burton and many aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.


Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Elna Baker and sisters, Lois Costello and Jean Christensen.

Funeral services will be at 1pm on Thursday June 28, 2012 at Benton Lutheran Church in rural Crooks. Burial in the family plot will follow the service.

Visitation with the family will be from 7-9pm Wednesday June 27, 2012 at the church. Arrangements are with the Minnehaha Funeral Home (Baltic). Those who wish to make a remembrance can do so by donating to the Benton Church Cemetery fund or Avera Hospice.