Emma L. Baker

Emma L. Baker, age 103 years 11 months and 2 days, of Yankton, South Dakota, and formerly of Pukwana, South Dakota, died Tuesday, December 2, 2008, at Avera Yankton Care Center in Yankton.

A memorial service will be 1:00 PM on Saturday, December 6, 2008, at Pukwana Lutheran Church in Pukwana, South Dakota, with Reverend Duane Neugebauer officiating. The Wintz & Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Yankton is in charge of the arrangements.

Emma was born December 31, 1904, in Buffalo County, South Dakota, to Peter and Caroline (Westphal) Petersen. She graduated from Grann Valley High School and attended Eastern Normal School in Madison, South Dakota. She was very proud of the fact that prior to raising her family she taught rural schools in Buffalo County for several years. She married Lester L. Baker on January 5, 1930. They farmed and ranched near Shelby Store in Buffalo County for 34 years. After Lester's death Emma moved to Chamberlain, then to Mitchell, and for the last 11 years she lived with a daughter and family in Yankton. She was a long time member of Pukwana Lutheran Church.

Survivors include her two daughters, Betty Sharping of Raymond, Nebraska and DeEtt (Raymond) Willard of Yankton; son, James (Margery) Baker of Ames, Iowa; 10 grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren; and four great great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lester; four brothers, Edward, Henry, William, and Gustav; five sisters, Marie Reese, Minnie Wells, Henrietta Rasmusson, Hulda Irving, and Kate Petersen; son-in-law, Lynden Sharping; and an infant grand daughter.

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