My Heritage

Information summarized from "The Life Histories of Wade & Afton Baker" Compiled by LaRinda Anderson

Afton Ethel Garner was born August 27, 1914 in Roy, Utah. She was the oldest of eight children. She had three sisters and four brothers. Her parents were William Charles and Hannah Ethel Bowen Garner. She wore gingham dresses to school and loved to read and sing. She also enjoyed swimming and dancing, but not riding horses. Growing up she had to help her father change water, hoe and thin beets, cultivate, drive horses, stack hay, and harvest grain. She picked potatoes and filled sacks even as a child. She would stay out of school during harvest in order to help. They would go on summer vacations to Red Fish Lake, but Afton only recalled ever catching two fish in her life. She got her first perm by electricity from a large machine and loved having curly hair. She played the piano and attended Brigham Young University for a year pursuing a business major. Then Afton served a mission to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Winnipeg, Canada. On her mission Afton helped convert Brother and Sister Cake in Winnipeg. She served a long mission. Instead of the 18 months like the rest of her companions, they kept her for 25.5 months. (pages 1-10)

Wade Baker was born January 20, 1916 in Roy, Utah. His parents were Thomas Parley Baker and Celestia Pearl Child. He had seven older siblings. His mother died when he was only six years old. His dad remarried a woman with two children, and they had four more kids together. Wade's oldest sister died when her fourth child was born, so his father and step-mother also raised this baby. He said of growing up: 'Work was plentiful but money scarce' with 15 kids (12). Wade enjoyed basketball, dancing, and rollerskating. He helped his father farm and worked for .18 cents an hour at the Roy Canning Factory peeling onions. He knew how to train horses and one winter broke 55 wild horses from Montana. (pages 11-13)

After returning from her mission, Afton married Wade Baker at 11:00 p.m. Nov. 10, 1937 in the Salt Lake City Temple. They were going to be married at 2:00 p.m. but had an Idaho Marriage License, so they hurried to the Utah courthouse but didn't make it back in time. They then wanted the 6:00 p.m. time. To pass a few hours they went shopping for a reception suit and dress. They also went to a car exhibition, which caused them to miss getting married until 11:00 p.m. that night (15). After their wedding they lived in a 12' x 12' granary with a coal stove and "furniture painted on the walls" (15). They parked a truck next to the granary at night to help prevent the wind from blowing it over. They were paid partially in grain. (pages 15-16)

Over the years they rented land and tried many farming / ranching enterprises. They raised 600 turkeys one year and then Hereford cattle for a number of years (17,18). Eventually they worked and saved enough to built a house south of Burley and settle over 6,000 acres of land. They took out the sage brush and plowed the fields with horses. They dug wells and were among the first to irrigate the Idaho desert. A lot of people were afraid to drill wells, but they knew there would be water. Wade prayed in a field one day and upon rising from the ground noticed his knee print in the earth and thought "Why not here"? (21). He drove a shovel into the spot and went to find Afton and show her. It turned out to be a wonderful well that still waters many fields to this day. They grew primarily wheat, potatoes, and sugar beets.
Wade and Afton had eight children, seven survived to adulthood:
Larry Wade
LeLand C.
Shirlene Afton
Dwaine Dale
Ronald Garner
Dennis Lee (died 8 years old)
Rell Dean
Loren Devon

Wade and Afton were very dedicated to the LDS Church. Over the years Afton served as choir director, drama director, mutual chorister, Stake Inservice Leader in Primary, and Relief Society President (23). Wade also had many callings including Stake President of the Cassia Stake in Oakely with counselors Tom Clark and Monroe Adams (23). He also served as Multi-Regional Director of Welfare Services, counselor in the Unity Bishopric for seven years, a member of the Stake High council for four years, and manager of the Stake Farm (26). General Authorities of the church would visit every few months and stay in their home. (This is why I have a copy of the Book of Mormon from my father with Ezra Taft Benson's and Thomas Monson's signatures, among many others).

My grandparents' family history ends with my Grandpa's death in 1992. I was 14 and don't have too many personal memories of time with Grandpa. I do remember him sitting happily at family events at the Baker Pool, watching over all his grandkids. By the 90s, there were 30 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren (27). So one-on-one time with Grandma and Grandpa was limited. I had one in-depth conversation when I was older with him, as Grandpa recalled his childhood friends that died from epidemics. Over the years, he would occasionally visit us at our farm in his tan pickup, B1, and we always got a big hug from Grandpa whenever we visited their house.

With my Grandma I remember a few more details. Grandma made the best pea and potato soup. She liked to watch Wheel of Fortune and discuss Vanna's (usually inappropriate) clothing choices. She always had the cookie bin full and would pack little bags of treats for us kids to take home. Grandma had purple irises by her bedroom window. And like me, Grandma had two baby teeth throughout her adulthood. Grandma loved to dance. She discussed dancing with fondness and animation until she grew quiet when her memory turned to dancing with partners before she met Grandpa. Grandma passed away when I moved to grad school. The last time I saw her was at my wedding. She hugged me and wished me a happy marriage.