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- [S112] Census, 1930.
Name: Vernon Baker
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: District 01, Maury, Tennessee
Gender: Male
Age: 8
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Birthplace: Tennessee
Estimated Birth Year: 1922
Immigration Year:
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Enumeration District Number: 0002
Family Number: 114
Sheet Number and Letter: 5B
Line Number: 53
NARA Publication: T626, roll 2266
Film Number: 2342000
Digital Folder Number: 4548180
Image Number: 00377
Household Gender Age
Parent Benton Baker M 33
Parent Mary Baker F 30
Vernon Baker M 8
Thelmer Baker F 6
Ester Baker F 4
Evylin Baker F 2
Coleen Baker F 0
Louise E Baker F 52
J C Baker M 19
Woodrow Baker M 16
Dorothy Baker F 14
Walace Baker M 10
- [S1] U. S. Social Security Death Index, 408-20-1014.
Issued in Tennessee, residing in Blacksburg, Montgomery County, Virginia
- [S142] Newspaper Article, The Daily Herald (Columbia, TN), 12 Jul 2009.
Vernon Hunter Baker , age 87, of Blacksburg, Virginia died July 11, 2009, at his home.
Vernon was born in Sante Fe, Tennessee on September 25, 1921 to the late Mary Louise Archer Baker and Benton Hunter Baker . He was preceded in death by his brothers, Jerry Baker and Roger Baker , and three sisters, Evelyn Baker , Thelma Baker Howlett, and Esta Baker Holt. Vernon received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1944 from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Upon graduation he was commissioned in the US Navy where he served for nine years. In 1948, he received his B.S. in agriculture engineering from UT, Knoxville. He received his Master of Science in agriculture engineering at Michigan State University in 1949 and his PhD. from Michigan State in 1953.
Mr. Baker worked for several companies while continuing his education. Among these were the Oak Ridge Laboratories and TVA in Tennessee, and the Consumers Power Company, Jackson, Michigan. After finishing his masters he was employed by Virginia Tech where he worked as a research associate engineer in the field of electrical controls for food and agricultural processing. While at Virginia Tech he was given a leave of absence to do further graduate work with a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Upjohn Company. In his thirties he was one of the youngest full professors Virginia Tech and authored a book and thirty research articles in state and national journals. He resigned from Virginia Tech in 1958 to enter into his private business ventures. These included designing and constructing AM, FM, and radio common carrier stations in several states. He built the first radio station in Montgomery County, WBCR, in 1954.
He and his wife, Virginia, were the founders of Positive Alternative Radio, Inc. (Spirit FM and Joy FM), non-profit Christian music radio stations. Vernon was a member of the Blacksburg United Methodist Church, The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The National Society of Professional Engineers, The Masonic Hunter Lodge No. 156, and was the third registered professional engineer in Virginia.
The Virginia Association of Broadcasters honored him in 2005 for lifelong achievement for his major contributions in the state of Virginia in the field of broadcasting. He was an honorary member of the National Research Society of Sigma Xi, and is listed in Who's Who in America.
He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Virginia Layman Baker ; his children Patsy Baker , Edward Baker and wife, Judith, Janice Baker Fagan and husband Joey, all of Blacksburg; daughters Carol Baker of Asheville, NC, and Vanessa Baker Pavlik, and her husband Russ, Hendersonville, TN; his grandchildren Jason Crews, Jean Crews Piermattei and her husband, Steve, Alison Baker , Diane Baker , Alan Baker , and his wife, April, Michelle Baker , Kelly Fagan, Andrew Fagan, Jessica Fagan, Erin Fagan, Eli Fagan, Hunter Pavlik, Sean Pavlik, and Matthew Pavlik; his brother Randall Baker and wife Jean, sisters Geneva Peach, Colleen Hargrove and husband, Tom, Maxine Lockhart and husband Jack, and brother-in-law, Jason Holt; two great-grand children Julia and Sam Piermattei; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 at 1:00 pm at the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel, 150 Country Club Dr., Blacksburg with the Reverend Reggie Tuck officiating. Interment will follow in the Memorial Gardens of the New River Valley. Friends may call anytime after 12:00 noon and the family will receive friends from 6-8:00 pm Tuesday evening at the McCoy Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Spirit FM, P.O. Box 929, Blacksburg, VA 24060.
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1921 - 2009 (87 years)
