Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 11293
Title: Thomas F. Baker
Date: 1920 - 2005
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 8/4/1920
Summary: Thomas F. Baker, 84, Bismarck, died July 15, 2005, in a Bismarck hospital. Services were held Monday, July 18, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. Jake Kincaid officiating. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery at a later date. Tom was born August 4, 1920, at Bismarck, to Lyman and Clara (Johnson) Baker. He graduated from BHS, BJC and UND. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps with the 18th Weather Squadron based in England. On September 6, 1946, he married Inez Schonert in Bismarck. Following the war and college, Tom returned to Bismarck where he began a 36-year career with the City of Bismarck, serving as Deputy City Auditor and City Auditor/City Coordinator. "Any time you had a problem that had to do with the city, you asked Tom. That was experience talking, when he gave advice, and he could always help you," said former Mayor Ed Lahr. He was Bismarck's most enthusiastic supporter and visionary. Baker was a man of ideas, but, most importantly, action. He led the city's urban renewal project, invigorating the declining downtown into a booming hub of business. City officials acquired property for developers to build such landmark businesses as the Radisson Hotel and Bismarck Civic Center. "He was the glue that kept Bismarck moving ahead - he made it a city, rather than a little town," said John Sakariassen, chairman of Saks News. After retirement he did consulting with Evenson-Dodge of Minneapolis and the North Dakota League of Citiies. Tom served as a board member and/or officer of several organizations, including the First Presbyterian Church, North Dakota League of Cities, St. Alexius Hospital, Medcenter One, Municipal Finance Officers Association, Provident Life Company, Plico Management Fund, North Dakota Municipal Bond Bank, YMCA, Multistate Tax Compact, Fairview Cemetery, Bismarck Park Board and Elan Gallery. He was a 32nd degree Mason who also received the degree of KCCH. Tom was a man of ideas, conviction and action. Baker often could be seen taking photos of downtown spots and landmarks across the state, and had gathered a substantial collection of pictures. He credited Bower Rudrud, a local portrait photographer and classmate atBismarck High School, with inspiring his own black-and-white photography. Tom will be deeply missed by his wife of 58 years, Inez; daughter and son-in-law, Tracey Baker and John Hines, Roseville, MN; one son and daughter-in-law, Scott and FayeBaker, Onalaska, WI; three grandchildren, Meridel Trimble, Thomas Trimble and Celia Baker; and extended family and many friends. Tom was preceded in death by his parents.
Red ID: FND_I_62057 Image ID: 523982 Image Notes: FND001 11293

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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