The Kansas American Legion Riders lost a founding member this week.
Bill Baber, of Derby, passed away Wednesday.
"He was one of the four or five of us who got everything going in Kansas," said Cregg Hansen, Legion Rider member. "He was pretty instrumental in that."
The idea arose after Hansen and Bill took a trip to Colorado in 2001 and met their Legion Riders.
While Bill had been to Sturgis before, this trip made a much stronger impact on him.
"He said ‘this really stands for something,'" Hansen said.
After that, they started the first Kansas Legion Rider chapter in Mulvane.
"He was very interested in veterans' causes," said Doug Baber of Andover, his son.
Bill was a corporal in the United States Marines. He joined the Marines in August after he graduated from high school in 1951, then was deployed to Korea by September of 1952. He was in Korea from 1952 until January 1953, returning to the United States after he was wounded. He was a two-time Purple Heart recipient.
"He was 100 percent veteran and believed in the veterans," Hansen said.
Doug said he always knew his father to be patriotic.
"He's from a generation that didn't talk a lot about his service," he said, "but he felt very strongly that it was an honor to serve his country."
Bill had lived in Derby since 1958, and spent most of his life there following that, moving occasionally for his work with Boeing.
"He was a very quiet and unassuming man who always was involved in helping others," Doug said.
Some of his involvements included: being past-president of the Derby Quarterback Club, a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a commissioner on various baseball little leagues, a past department American Legion Rider committee member and on the board of the Derby Junior Football league. He also was active in the DAV, VFW, American Legion and American Legion Riders.
"Even up to a year ago, he volunteered time to the Lord's Diner,"Doug said. "He was a very giving person."
He described his father as more of a doer than a talker.
"He will be missed but the lessons he taught us will be forever in our hearts," Hansen said.
Bill was a true family man, with three children, Doug, Dirk and Ann Sherman, and had eight grandchildren.
"He never missed a high school or college graduation or anything like that," Doug said.
The family invited the Patriot Guard to be present at Bill's memorial service. It will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Smith Mortuary. There will be no graveside service and Bill's ashes will be returned to his home state of Iowa.
Bill Baber, of Derby, passed away Wednesday.
"He was one of the four or five of us who got everything going in Kansas," said Cregg Hansen, Legion Rider member. "He was pretty instrumental in that."
The idea arose after Hansen and Bill took a trip to Colorado in 2001 and met their Legion Riders.
While Bill had been to Sturgis before, this trip made a much stronger impact on him.
"He said ‘this really stands for something,'" Hansen said.
After that, they started the first Kansas Legion Rider chapter in Mulvane.
"He was very interested in veterans' causes," said Doug Baber of Andover, his son.
Bill was a corporal in the United States Marines. He joined the Marines in August after he graduated from high school in 1951, then was deployed to Korea by September of 1952. He was in Korea from 1952 until January 1953, returning to the United States after he was wounded. He was a two-time Purple Heart recipient.
"He was 100 percent veteran and believed in the veterans," Hansen said.
Doug said he always knew his father to be patriotic.
"He's from a generation that didn't talk a lot about his service," he said, "but he felt very strongly that it was an honor to serve his country."
Bill had lived in Derby since 1958, and spent most of his life there following that, moving occasionally for his work with Boeing.
"He was a very quiet and unassuming man who always was involved in helping others," Doug said.
Some of his involvements included: being past-president of the Derby Quarterback Club, a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a commissioner on various baseball little leagues, a past department American Legion Rider committee member and on the board of the Derby Junior Football league. He also was active in the DAV, VFW, American Legion and American Legion Riders.
"Even up to a year ago, he volunteered time to the Lord's Diner,"Doug said. "He was a very giving person."
He described his father as more of a doer than a talker.
"He will be missed but the lessons he taught us will be forever in our hearts," Hansen said.
Bill was a true family man, with three children, Doug, Dirk and Ann Sherman, and had eight grandchildren.
"He never missed a high school or college graduation or anything like that," Doug said.
The family invited the Patriot Guard to be present at Bill's memorial service. It will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Smith Mortuary. There will be no graveside service and Bill's ashes will be returned to his home state of Iowa.
The Kansas American Legion Riders lost a founding member this week.
Bill Baber, of Derby, passed away Wednesday.
"He was one of the four or five of us who got everything going in Kansas," said Cregg Hansen, Legion Rider member. "He was pretty instrumental in that."
The idea arose after Hansen and Bill took a trip to Colorado in 2001 and met their Legion Riders.
While Bill had been to Sturgis before, this trip made a much stronger impact on him.
"He said ‘this really stands for something,'" Hansen said.
After that, they started the first Kansas Legion Rider chapter in Mulvane.
"He was very interested in veterans' causes," said Doug Baber of Andover, his son.
Bill was a corporal in the United States Marines. He joined the Marines in August after he graduated from high school in 1951, then was deployed to Korea by September of 1952. He was in Korea from 1952 until January 1953, returning to the United States after he was wounded. He was a two-time Purple Heart recipient.
"He was 100 percent veteran and believed in the veterans," Hansen said.
Doug said he always knew his father to be patriotic.
"He's from a generation that didn't talk a lot about his service," he said, "but he felt very strongly that it was an honor to serve his country."
Bill had lived in Derby since 1958, and spent most of his life there following that, moving occasionally for his work with Boeing.
"He was a very quiet and unassuming man who always was involved in helping others," Doug said.
Some of his involvements included: being past-president of the Derby Quarterback Club, a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a commissioner on various baseball little leagues, a past department American Legion Rider committee member and on the board of the Derby Junior Football league. He also was active in the DAV, VFW, American Legion and American Legion Riders.
"Even up to a year ago, he volunteered time to the Lord's Diner,"Doug said. "He was a very giving person."
He described his father as more of a doer than a talker.
"He will be missed but the lessons he taught us will be forever in our hearts," Hansen said.
Bill was a true family man, with three children, Doug, Dirk and Ann Sherman, and had eight grandchildren.
"He never missed a high school or college graduation or anything like that," Doug said.
The family invited the Patriot Guard to be present at Bill's memorial service. It will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Smith Mortuary. There will be no graveside service and Bill's ashes will be returned to his home state of Iowa.
Bill Baber, of Derby, passed away Wednesday.
"He was one of the four or five of us who got everything going in Kansas," said Cregg Hansen, Legion Rider member. "He was pretty instrumental in that."
The idea arose after Hansen and Bill took a trip to Colorado in 2001 and met their Legion Riders.
While Bill had been to Sturgis before, this trip made a much stronger impact on him.
"He said ‘this really stands for something,'" Hansen said.
After that, they started the first Kansas Legion Rider chapter in Mulvane.
"He was very interested in veterans' causes," said Doug Baber of Andover, his son.
Bill was a corporal in the United States Marines. He joined the Marines in August after he graduated from high school in 1951, then was deployed to Korea by September of 1952. He was in Korea from 1952 until January 1953, returning to the United States after he was wounded. He was a two-time Purple Heart recipient.
"He was 100 percent veteran and believed in the veterans," Hansen said.
Doug said he always knew his father to be patriotic.
"He's from a generation that didn't talk a lot about his service," he said, "but he felt very strongly that it was an honor to serve his country."
Bill had lived in Derby since 1958, and spent most of his life there following that, moving occasionally for his work with Boeing.
"He was a very quiet and unassuming man who always was involved in helping others," Doug said.
Some of his involvements included: being past-president of the Derby Quarterback Club, a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a commissioner on various baseball little leagues, a past department American Legion Rider committee member and on the board of the Derby Junior Football league. He also was active in the DAV, VFW, American Legion and American Legion Riders.
"Even up to a year ago, he volunteered time to the Lord's Diner,"Doug said. "He was a very giving person."
He described his father as more of a doer than a talker.
"He will be missed but the lessons he taught us will be forever in our hearts," Hansen said.
Bill was a true family man, with three children, Doug, Dirk and Ann Sherman, and had eight grandchildren.
"He never missed a high school or college graduation or anything like that," Doug said.
The family invited the Patriot Guard to be present at Bill's memorial service. It will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Smith Mortuary. There will be no graveside service and Bill's ashes will be returned to his home state of Iowa.
Bio by: Kyle
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