Bonny Gene Baker

Bonny Gene Baker passed away quietly on March 31, 2025 at the age of 92, in Mandeville, LA near his youngest daughter, Suzanne Cole. His wife, Margaret, was also present with him. He lived in Hamilton, IL for 54 years. His father and mother were Calvin and Elizabeth Baker. He is survived by his wife, Margaret F (McKinney) Baker, and two daughters, Katherine A (Baker) Smith, (Andrew Butler), and Suzanne B. Cole (Harry A Cole, III). He had one sister, Betty Ruth Stapp of California, and several nieces and nephews. He has four grandchildren, Katie Beth (Smith) Blumenfeld, Alexandra A (Smith) Palmer, Nicholas B. Smith, and Ruth (Cole) Leow. He has three great-grandchildren, Jeremiah Palmer, Leo Palmer, Daniel Blumenfeld, and a future Palmer great-granddaughter.

B. Gene Baker was born February 5, 1933 in Mena, Arkansas and grew up there until age 16, left and went to live with relatives in Oklahoma City, OK. He finished high school, and briefly attended a tech school, then enlisted in the Navy. He served for three years during the Korean War. After being honorably discharged he went to work in Okmulgee, OK at CR Anthony. His roommate, Tom Newton, introduced him to his future wife, Margaret F McKinney. With her encouragement, he enrolled in Northeast Central College in Ada, OK and majored in chemistry. They were married in May, 1955. He graduated from college in 1957 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, and became employed at Pure Oil Co in Nederland, TX.

During their time in Nederland, two daughters, Kathy and Suzanne were born. Gene worked at various jobs in multiple locations including Jacksonville, Texas, Vermillion, SD, Texarkana, Texas, and in 1966 took a position in Peoria, IL with the USDA. In 1969 they moved to Hamilton, IL and Gene worked in Keokuk, IA at various flour and corn syrup plants as a chemist for many years.

Although Gene worked hard at his chemist job, his real love and desire was to become a preacher and serve the Lord in ministry. He was ordained as a Southern Baptist Minister in 1975. In 1978 he and his family started a church plant in Hamilton, IL in a house close to where he and his family lived. The church grew, and one of the prominent features was a large youth group of over 40-50 children.

Gene loved to garden and had a huge garden plot. Friends and neighbors were blest by his generous sharing from his abundant and fertile garden and orchard.

He will be greatly missed by not only his family, but so many other lives that he touched in the Hamilton community. Gene will be cremated in LA with a private family service held at a later date. Anyone wishing to remember Gene’s faithful service to the Lord may make donations to either Samaritan’s Purse or Ruth Leow, care of Cru (Campus Crusade), #1049751.