Oliver Baker Obituary

Oliver Lee Baker, 97, of Mt. Airy, MD, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 4th. He leaves

behind his loving wife of 76 years, Elizabeth "Betty" (King) Baker.

Born June 5, 1927, he was the oldest child of the late Earl Lee Baker and Thelma (Rinker) Baker and

was preceded in death by his siblings Bess (Baker) Gladhill, Earl R. "Dick" Baker, and James C.

"Jimmy" Baker.

Oliver spent his early years on the family farm, eventually farming on his own. After leaving the farm

life, he worked for a number of companies operating heavy equipment. He then worked for Kettler

Brothers doing home inspections until his retirement. He never got the farm life out of his system

though, doing planting and other farm work for his brother-in-law Frank Gladhill and cultivating his

own backyard garden until just a few years ago.

He met his wife Betty at a dance when they were in their late teens, and they continued dancing

into their 90's almost every weekend at the Moose Clubs in Westminster and Frederick. He was

also a member of the Frederick Amvets, the Red Man's Club, and the Mt. Airy Volunteer Fire

Company. Oliver was one of the founding members of the Mt. Airy Saddle Pals, which is still in

existence today. And he always made sure Old Granddad was in-stock at the Mt. Airy VFW.

In their 76 years of marriage, Oliver and Betty went on multiple trips and adventures across the USA

and up to Alaska and Canada in their camper. They also enjoyed going on many trail and carriage

rides with their beloved horses.

Throughout his life, he was always ready to volunteer his time and expertise when it came to

butchering hogs and making scrapple and sausage ("Don't use too much sage!"), making a lot of

friends in the process. To the staff at his doctors' offices and other places, he was known as "The

Brownie Man," delivering his homemade brownies, much to their delight.

In addition to his wife Betty, he is survived by their children Terry Lee Baker (Cindy) of Mt. Airy,

Marilyn Meagher (Brian) of Ocean City, and Darlene Wilt (Mikael) of Adamstown. He is also survived

by grandchildren Valerie Shekore (Brian), Jeff Baker (Amber), Veronica Sellier (Sten), Patrick

Salisbury (Vicky), and 8 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are his sister-in-law Jane Baker of

Frederick, numerous nieces and nephews, a host of "adopted" sons and daughters, and many dear

friends.

Special thanks to Pam Sier, Phil Rable, and Donna Ecker for their help and support, to his nurse

Shirley and the rest of the caring staff at Lorien, and to BridgingLife Hospice Care. Thanks, too, to

all of the people who came to visit Oliver while he was at Lorien. He certainly enjoyed your

company!

The family will receive friends on Monday, October 14, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Stauffer

Funeral Home, 8 E. Ridgeville Blvd, Mt. Airy, with the funeral service beginning at 1:00 PM.

Inurnment will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery in Mt. Airy. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be

made in Oliver's honor to the Mt. Airy Volunteer Fire Company, 702 N. Main St, Mt. Airy, MD, 21771,

or to BridgingLIfe Hospice Care, 292 Stoner Ave, Westminster, MD, 21157.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared at staufferfuneralhome.com.

And if you care to, raise a glass of Old Granddad, with a splash of Coke, in his honor. Oliver Baker