Russell Baker, Sr., 77, of Tifton died Sunday, May 2, 2010, at his residence. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5, 2010, in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. Dr. Wayne Roe and Dr. W. Ches Smith, III will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. John Henderson, Neil Clements, Jimmy Mixon, Fate Miller, John Hall and Clarence Smith will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Tifton Masonic Lodge, the Eastern Star, the Amaranth, the Shriners and Jimmy Atkinson. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mr. Baker was born on December 2, 1932 in Tift County and was the son of Russell Aubrey Baker and Verna Yates Baker Summers, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by one sister, Barbara Marie Baker; and one granddaughter, Jessica Marie Warren. He was retired from the Georgia Department of Transportation and a member of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. He was a 33rd degree Mason, Past Master of Tifton Lodge #47 F&AM, Past Master of Tiftarea Daylight Lodge #745, Past High Priest of Tifton Chapter #47 RAM, III Past Master of Tifton Council #58 R&SM, Past Commander of Coastal Plain Commandery #42, Past Monarch of Al-Ban Grotto, Past Patron of Blanche Chapter #8 OES, Past Royal Patron of Tifton Court #25 Amaranth, a member of the Hasan Shrine Temple, Tall Pines Forst #203, Wiregraa York Rite College #189, Georgia Priory #39 KYCH and Albany Scottish Rite Temple.
Mr. Baker is survived by his wife, Emma Elizabeth “Betty” Remley Baker of Tifton; one son, Russell Baker, Jr. of Tifton; two daughters; Sandra Marie Blitchington and her fiance’ Andy Saunders of Tifton and Elizabeth Y Golden and her fiance’ Ron Atchison of Douglas; one sister, Carl Sandra Dukes of Atlanta; six grandchildren, Bonnie Elizabeth Blitchington Fields, Sheryl Ann Murphy, Katie Elizabeth Atchison, Jennifer Lynn Lewis, Crystal Ann Izzo and Russell Aubrey Baker, II; and eleven great grandchildren.