The worthwhile accomplishments of some groups seem forgotten to history because no one has been interested enough to record their many good deeds done on a daily basis. So it is with our funeral professionals. These dedicated people have been right alongside us as Marion has grown from a small pioneer settlement into the City of which we are so proud today. But their hard work and acts of humanity toward their fellow man have been little noticed and seldom reported. Continue reading
Category Archives: A-B
When Charles Boatright graduated from VTI (located in the old Ordill administration buildings) in May of 1958 and got married the following weekend, his direction wasn’t absolutely clear. He and his new bride drove to Cleveland, Ohio and applied for a job working in a factory. When that didn’t pan out he returned to Marion and went to work for Paul Gore who was operating an RCA dealership where Walt’s Pizza is now located. Continue reading
Bobby D. “Bob” Boyt was born April 2, 1939 in Marion to Jack Boyt and Amy Haesker Barnett. He married Emily Sue Bishop on September 19, 1998.
Bob graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in accounting.
He worked for GTE for 25 years. He was a priesthood member of the Community of Christ Church for 35 years and a member of the Marion Rotary Club and Paradise Alley Players. Continue reading
Dr. Alonzo Newton Baker, M.D. was born May 28, 1904 at 1310 W. Main in Marion, Illinois to Dr. Virgil Baker and Nora L. Neber. Alonzo was likely named after his grandfather Alonzo P. Baker, civil war soldier and pioneer county doctor who helped influence the formation of early professional Southern Illinois medical care. Continue reading
Dr. Virgil Aaron Baker was born on April 3, 1876, in Grassy Precinct, Williamson County, Illinois. He was the son of Dr. Alonzo P. Baker and Martha Jane Matheney, and brother to Dr. Griffin J. Baker.
The 1880 census, found Virgil at the age of 4 living with his parents in Grassy Precinct of Williamson County where he was born, sharing space with five siblings. The Baker family lived in the very southwestern corner of the county, roughly where the southern tip of Devil’s Kitchen Lake is located now. Continue reading