Baker gave Dimock a lifetime of service

BY ROBERT L. BAKER and PAT FARNELLI

George Baker, who served Dimock Township as supervisor for the past 57 years died Saturday after a battle with cancer. He was 84.

It was his wish that there be no fuss made over his life, but Ed Bunnell who worked side by side as supervisor with Baker over 42 of those years said you couldn’t just let him go.

“This town was his life, and it won’t be the same without him,” Bunnell said Monday night.

Methodist pastor Richard Spering noted that after graduating from Dimock High School in 1945, Baker was a successful dairy farmer, but what he became known for was his welding shop on his East Dimock farm.

Bob Hess, who knew Baker most of his life, was a year behind him in high school, and later a neighbor, said he was a “go to guy” in just about every aspect of his life.

“You’d take something to him that had broken and he’d fix it then tell you, ‘If this doesn’t hold bring it back,.” Hess said.

“Usually you wouldn’t have to take it back, but you’d go back with something else because he was so reliable,” Hess added.

His welding became so well known that when Luke Peters’ car shop went up for sale in the early 1960s, he jumped at the opportunity to help repair cars, and soon he and his son expanded his reputation for good service.

Springville Township supervisor Jerry Ainey said Baker was “the most knowledgeable man I ever knew” when it came to Dimock or any of the surrounding townships.

Many years ago, When Ed Little Sr. was the judge in the Susquehanna County Courthouse, Baker was called for jury duty, but replied that he had a dairy farm, garage, and township to run. “The judge came down and helped him with his farm chores so that he could serve on a jury,” said Baker’s son, George Jr.

The judge’s son, who was the same age as Baker, and one of Baker’s closest friends,  passed away a week ago.

The younger Baker said that his father was an inventive problem solver, and built hay elevators, feed carts, and other devices for local farmers. “He built a new kind of log skidder for Bucky Wickheiser, and welded a thing for the back of a pickup so that one man could safely stand in the middle of the pickup bed and spread cinders. This was back when cindering was done by hand,” he said. Both of these devices were of his dad’s own invention.

Spering said he pretty much improvised on everything he also did as a supervisor, and people did not always see that.

“There are 36 miles of township roads in Dimock, and he knew every inch of them, also even knew about fixing bridges,” Bunnell who has decided not to seek reelection this year, said.

“His gift of ingenuity and ability to improvise saved this town many dollars, but more than that he was just a good Christian man who cared for his adopted township in ways you just don’t see any more,” Spering said.

Don Carroll, who works for Bridgewater Township, said that Baker and his friend Belford Burch built many bridges in Susquehanna County, and saved many municipalities a lot of money.

Dave Cavenaugh of  Bridgewater Township said that his late father, Jim, who was a well driller in Dimock, could tell many stories about George Baker. “He would make himself available any time to discuss township business, in the garage,” Cavenaugh said. “This is truly the end of an era.”

Baker had submitted his resignation from his supervisor position, which was accepted at the April meeting.

Baker’s vacancy will be filled by an appointment from the remaining supervisors, and then each of the political parties will have an opportunity to nominate a candidate who can appear on the November ballot, Susquehanna County Elections Director Laura Watts said Monday.