The family photos were terrific. Among them was the first house the Bakers lived in, in Parker County. They gave it to their daughter and son-in-law after they built a new home. It's probably much like what George and Louisa Baker Cottrell would have lived in, nearby. We saw pictures of Jim Baker young and Jim Baker old, family reunions, and folks it'll take us weeks to figure out who's who
From there we went out to the cemetery to see M.G.'s grave. Don't ask me what possessed us to pose behind it. It seemed like a good idea at the time... M.G. and his great grandchildren.
We stopped back at the courthouse to visit with David (I won't say what department he works in but it starts with T and ends with X). He had found marriage licenses for marriages M.G. performed as far back as 1931, one of which was for Junior Fort's brother Byron. He promised to send other records as he found them, and has surely been as good as his word, sending along several news clippings of funerals that M.G. conducted.
We stopped by the old Baker home on our way out of town. Our Baker cousins had said that, new siding and a new roof notwithstanding, it looked much like the house their parents had grown up in. Hard to imagine ten children in that house. Looking to the east from the Baker property, it's a clear shot to Texas, one mile away.
Had some excitement on the way back to Albuquerque from Lovington: we saw a tornado cloud just to the west of the highway. Didn't see the funnel itself -- didn't need to -- it was that clear that's what it was. And by the time we got to Roswell people were talking about the tornado. Saw pictures of the funnel on the news that night. Gulp... But then, after every storm, there should be a rainbow, and there was.
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New Mexico Family, April 2004
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First Baker home
Parker Co. TX
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Young Jim Baker
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Mary and Jim Baker
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Dick and Judy
at M.G.'s Grave
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Dick, David Minton
& Judy at Cthouse
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Lea County Courthouse
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Baker house
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Rainbow
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