Funeral Mass for Wiley R. "Bullet Bob" Baker, 83, Logansport, will be at 11 a.m. Friday in All Saints Catholic Church in Logansport. He died peacefully surrounded by his family at 12:05 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007, shortly after receiving the sacrament of anointing of the sick. He courageously fought many chronic diseases and has won his final battle, sank his last shot, and sent his last train out of "yard A" to heaven. Born July 11, 1924, in Fort Wayne, he was the son of the late Wiley and Rose Riehle Baker. He was a lifelong resident of Cass County. He was a 1942 graduate of Metea High School where "Bullet Bob" Baker led the mighty hornets to victory in the Cass County tournament. He briefly attended Indiana Central on a basketball scholarship, but at the time, room and board were not included so he worked in a meat packing plant and became homesick and returned to Logansport to work on the Pennsylvania Railroad. He entered the U.S. Army in 1943 and Pfc. Baker fought with the famous 75th Infantry division in World War II. Known as "bulge busters" the 75th entered battle on Christmas Eve of 1944 along the Ourthe River in the Ardennes and fought their way in the cold and deep snow and took Grandemeil on Jan. 5, 1945. They relieved the famous 82nd airborne and helped win the Battle of the Bulge. In late January of 1945, they boarded a train and rode in the famous 40 and 8 railcars to the Colmar Pocket, where under French command drove the Nazi's off of French soil reaching the Rhine on Feb. 7. They crossed the Rhine March 24 and continued to fight into Germany until allied victory. One out of every two men in his division were killed, missing or wounded. He was lucky only suffering hearing loss when blown out of his jeep and having frostbitten feet.

In 1948, he married Dixie L. Richards and had five children. He worked for 35 years for the Pennsylvania, Penn Central, and Conrail railroad and was first trick yardmaster at yard A, working in the old Vandalia station yard office that is now the Iron Horse Museum. He was local chairman for the yardmasters union for many years and he retired in 1983. He was a member of All Saints Catholic Church, Logansport, and was a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus. He coached with Jocko Jargstorf for his older three son's Little League team in the 1950s and was an avid gardener enlisting the entire family in the mass production of vegetables. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and could see a mushroom a mile away. He was a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars 3790, American Legion 60 and the 40&8 Local 729 and was very active in veteran affairs. He was past Cass County Veterans Service Officer, led the county military funeral detail for several years and was named Cass County "Man of the Year" in 1985-1986. He served terms as VFW post commander, quartermaster, district commander, served with the state commander and was aide de camp of the national commander. He also served as American Legion Commander and Chef de Gare of the 40&8.

Surviving are his wife, Dixie L Baker, Logansport; three sons, Robert Baker and wife, Cyndi, Greenwood, Gary Baker and wife, Barbara, Tampa, Fla.,. and Dr. Stephen Baker and wife, Susan,
Columbus; one daughter, Christy Mathis and husband, Phil, Indianapolis; and 10 grandchildren, Gary Jr., Michael, Ryan, Laura, Jonathon, Anna, Tom, Reed, Carson and Evan. He was preceded in death by one son, Bill, two sisters, Geraldine and Delores, and several half brothers and sisters, most notably Zora Baker.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Marocco Funeral Chapel, 119 E. Market St., Logansport, where there will be a Scripture Service at 7 p.m. and where 4th Degree Knights of
Columbus will stand guard from 4 to 7 p.m. Father Michael McKinney will officiate and burial with full military rites will be in Davis Cemetery, Burnettsville. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Indiana University Cancer Research Institute.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007- Logansport Pharos-Tribune