Billy Joe Baker

Billy Joe Baker was born in Princeton, Mo., on April 7, 1938, to Loren and Emily (Clark) Baker, and went to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday March 26, 2010.

Billy “Bill” grew up in Princeton and Laredo, Mo., moving to Laredo in the spring of 1949 when his mom married Lloyd (Typo) Holloway. Bill graduated from Laredo High School in 1956 and worked for the Milwaukee Railroad from the time he was 17 until a back injury forced him to leave the Railroad in 1976. He worked on various rail and tie gangs throughout the Milwaukee system and in 1967 worked in the Ryegate and Lavina communities. It was while in Lavina that Bill met Ruth Belcher; they were married on Nov. 30, 1968, and moved to Ottumwa, Iowa, where Bill was an Assistant Roadmaster. To this union, three children were born: Dustin, Brigitte and Kimberly. After Bill injured his back on the Railroad, he was the owner/operator of a Christian Bookstore in Trenton, Mo., while living in his hometown of Laredo. In April of 1981, the Bakers moved to Montana and Bill began a new career as a custodian at the Hysham School and later worked at the Stillwater County Courthouse in Columbus, retiring in 1995 due to health.

Bill loved to collect and frame various artists’ prints, and proudly displayed them in the family home.
In January of 2000, Bill was diagnosed and treated for Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After being cancer-free for almost seven years, the Lymphoma attacked again, and Bill fought with all his strength, trusting in the Lord to bring him through each day. Diabetes and cancer treatment took Bill’s sight in July of 2009 and, as his sight failed, Bill began to give up the things he loved in life; teaching Sunday School, woodworking and working in the yard. The Lord taught Bill many lessons in his travel through life, but the one thing Bill depended upon each day was God’s Saving Grace and that Faith in God is what brought him through each day.

Bill is predeceased by all three parents, Loren, Emily and Lloyd; and his in-laws, Ronald and Bessie Belcher. Bill is survived by his wife, Ruth of Hysham; children, Dustin Baker of Billings, Brigitte (Todd) Lindstrom of St. Joseph, Mo., and Kimberly Baker of Richey; five grandchildren, Jameison Welch, Devon, Weston, Aidan and Briley Lindstrom, all of St. Joseph; brothers Dean (Rise’) Holloway of Davenport, Iowa, Danny Holloway (Carol) of Laredo; a sister, Carolyn (Robert) Lytle, Excelsior Springs, Mo.; nieces, nephews and his church family at Hysham Baptist Church.

The family wishes to thank the excellent staff at Hematology Oncology of the Northern Rockies, the Rosebud Healthcare Center Staff, all of God’s Faithful & Colorful Angels who prayed, called, and encouraged throughout Bill’s illness. Without your loving care, Billy’s experience with cancer would have been a much more difficult road to travel.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 31, at 10:00 a.m., in Hysham at the Hysham Baptist Church. Cremation has taken place and graveside services and burial were at the Lavina Cemetery on Thursday, April 1, at 1:00 p.m.

Memorials may be made to the Hysham Baptist Church Parsonage Building Fund in care of the family or to Hysham Baptist Church, P.O. Box 266, Hysham, MT 59038. Print this post