James Baker, Sr.

James B. "Jim" Baker, Sr., a former Richmond, Indiana (Wayne Co.) resident, passed away unexpectedly Monday, February 1, 2010 at the Newberry County Memorial Hospital in Newberry, South Carolina.

He was born September 13, 1936 in Spartanburg, Indiana (Randolph Co.), the son of the late David H. and Esther Setser Baker. He was a 1955 graduate of Whitewater High School and served in the Army from 1959-1962 in Germany.

He was employed by AVCO and Richmond Gear Works in Richmond. He then started a career in the automotive industry at the Chrysler plant in New Castle, later the Philco-Ford plant in Connersville, and General Motors in Muncie, Indiana, before being transferred to General Motors in Toledo, Ohio until he retired in 1999 after 22 years. He was lifetime member of American Legion Post #315 and Moose Lodge #167 in Richmond. In 1999, after retiring, he and his wife Cyrena J. (Elleman), whom he married November 21, 1981, moved to the beautiful and friendly town of Prosperity, South Carolina.

He will be sadly missed by his wife and daughter Sheryl B. Sizemore; sons James B. Baker, Jr. (Angela), Jason Allen Smith (Rhonda), all of Richmond, and John W. Smith of Toledo, Ohio; 11 grandchildren; sisters Patty and (the late Richard Malloris) of Richmond and Joyce Graham (Shelby) of Albany, Kentucky; brothers Harold (Becky) Baker of Richmond and Edwin (Peggy) Baker of Fountain City, nieces and nephews. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Duane Lee Baker.

Jim’s life will be celebrated at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 28, 2010, at the McSwain-Evans Funeral Home by the Rev. Michael Turner.

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