Susan Baker

(Ila) Susan (John) Baker of Bolivar, daughter of Gerald A. and Nelle W. (Jones) John, was born at home in Ashland, Missouri on July 27, 1933. She passed away at age 85 from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease on March 19, 2019 at home in Bolivar with her daughter Beth, son-in-law David, and sister-in-law Clara (Baker) Stovall at her side. Visitation will be on Saturday, March 23 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Bolivar. Funeral service will be on Sunday, March 24 at 1:00 p.m., also at FBC, Bolivar led by Dr. Billy Russell, senior pastor. Inurnment will occur at Greenwood Cemetery at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 25. Butler Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements and services. Sue was preceded in death by both parents; her brother, Austin D. John; a great nephew, Aaron John; two sisters-in-law—Delores (Andersen) John Kloss; and Evelyn (Burnett) John; one brother-in-law, Robert N. (“Bob”) Meyer, Sr.; and Sue’s beloved husband, George I. Baker. She is survived by her daughter, Beth (Susan Elizabeth) and son-in-law David L. Dixon of Bolivar; grandchildren Laura Dixon (mother of great-grandchildren Phillip, Anna, Lillian and Noah Bly) of Bolivar, Jacob Dixon and his fiancée Emma Tabler of Bolivar, and Ethan and Lacey (Ruble) Dixon of Marshfield; her brother, Justin A. John and wife Dorothy of Ashland, MO; sisters-in-law—Mary Ellen John, Columbia; Ruth (Baker) Meyer, Troy; and Clara (Baker) Stovall and her husband David E. Stovall, Abilene, TX; several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and many wonderful friends. Susan was taught piano by her mother at an early age, was saved at the age of 8 and began accompanying hymns at her local church in Ashland at the age of 12. Sue believed that the Lord called her into church music ministry during that time of her life. Sue attended Ashland High School, played center on the girls’ basketball team and graduated as Valedictorian of her class. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education with honors from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she met her husband George. They met while participating in the campus Baptist Student Union, and they eventually worked together leading revivals and traveling with BSU groups on mission trips. Sue was also a short-term missionary for one summer in Dalles, Oregon. During college, Sue was chosen to be inducted into the Music Honor Sorority, Sigma Alpha Iota, and continued to play piano and began playing organ at several Baptist churches while in Columbia and participated in revival teams. Susan and George were married on December 19, 1953 at Calvary Baptist Church in Columbia, MO. Shortly after, they moved to New Orleans, LA to attend New Orleans Baptist Seminary. Sue graduated with a Masters in Organ Performance and George with a Masters in Church Music in 1955. After graduation, Sue and George began a lifetime of serving the Lord in music ministry, beginning full-time at West End Baptist in Atlanta, Georgia from 1955-1963 (Beth was born in 1959); at First Baptist in El Dorado, Arkansas from 1963-1966, and at Tallowood Baptist in Houston, Texas from 1966-1974. At every church they served, they worked together as a team. George prayerfully planned and led the worship services, adult and youth choirs, orchestras, small ensembles and choir mission trips. Susan accompanied the Adult Choir, was church organist, and coordinated, created curriculum for, recruited and trained choir workers, and directed children’s choirs (in every church they served). While in Houston, Sue was asked by what was then known as the (Southern) Baptist Sunday School Board (BSSB, now Lifeway) to write a book about teaching music to preschoolers called “Teaching Preschool Music for 4s and 5s” and subsequently, wrote another book about the importance of incorporating music and rhythms in early childhood education at home, church and school entitled, “Everyday Rhythms for Children.” She also co-authored a second book for preschool music leadership. Susan composed over 25 songs for church preschool children’s choirs and wrote multiple articles and curriculum in the monthly choir materials printed by the BSSB for several years. Between 1966 and 1976, George and Sue were asked to teach and participate in seminars and clinics at two of the Baptist Convention Centers—Glorietta, New Mexico, and Ridgecrest, North Carolina. They took multiple choirs on tour to perform and work alongside other churches in evangelism—what are now called “mission trips”—every summer from 1963 through 1984. In 1974, George and Sue were invited by Duncan Couch, Music Dept Chair, to join the faculty at what was then Southwest Baptist College, to assist in establishing a Church Music degree. George was also called to be a member of the ministry staff of First Baptist, Bolivar as Minister of Music, and soon after, Susan was hired as organist and graded choir coordinator. George and Susan worked together on the SBU faculty from 1974 to 1981, establishing the church music degree and George also directed the Concert Choir and taught voice. In 1981, George decided to resign from one of his two full-time jobs and continue in worship ministry at FBC, Bolivar. Susan continued teaching classes in Church Music, Music Theory and Sight-Singing, Elementary Music Ed., and of course, organ until she retired in 1997. She was also an active member of the American Guild of Organists and had taken additional post-graduate courses in organ performance at Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City conservatory of music in the summers of 1980 & 1981. George and Sue resigned from FBC Bolivar in 1998 and continued to serve in worship ministry at Glenstone Baptist in Springfield, MO from 1998-2006, and at Brighton Baptist from 2006-2014 when both George and Susan’s health began to decline. They retired in 2014 from the work they delighted in doing together in the Lord’s service for over 60 years. The number of students and worship participants influenced by the witness and ministry of George and Susan Baker will only be known in heaven. Their goal was to glorify God, lead others to worship in Spirit and truth, and encourage and equip believers to utilize all the talents and gifts God had given them to worship, serve and share the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be designated to the Baker-Keathley Music Scholarship fund at SBU, Bolivar or CMH Hospice here in Bolivar, whom the family thanks for their excellent, compassionate care of both George and Susan in their last few months here. To God be the glory, great things He has done! A Visitation for Susan Baker will be held Saturday, March 23, 2019 from 6-7:30 PM at the First Baptist Church in Bolivar, MO. A funeral service will be held Sunday, March 24, 2019 at 1 PM at the First Baptist Church in Bolivar, MO. Services are under the care and direction of the Butler Funeral Home of Bolivar, MO.

Susan Baker

July 27, 1933 - March 19, 2019