Fred & Connie Baker
From Lacey Green History
click Families for other local families
click Baker for others in this family
also click 2000 Memories of Con Baker
In 2000 Con Baker described her days at Lacey Green School. click 1922 School memories by Constance Gomme.
click Baker for others in this family
Frederick Baker born 1908 was the son of Albert John Baker & Hannah Harvey
Constance "Connie" or "Con", Lillah Gomme, born in 1908, was the daughter of Ralph & Ellen Nolan Gomme
click Lacey Green School Reunion 2000 for Connie's school memories
Fred and Connie married in 1933
1939 Register (census) In 1939 they were living at the Foundry. Fred was an iron moulder.
From Hallmark 1980. Extract from "The Foundry" by Miles Marshall. Fred Baker worked for thirteen years with his father-in-law and during these years picked up a thorough working knowledge of his adopted trade. Although the manufacture of farm machinery was already passing to big firms in the industrial centres. Ralph Gomme (Fred's father-in-law) had retained a considerable trade in repairing local farm machinery including the big steam traction engines which, in those pre-combine-harvester times, not only powered the threshing machines with those long, whipping, exposed, driving-belts, but towed them and their train of ancillary equipment from farm to farm to thresh the stacked corn. Fred still recalls the arduous work on those monsters of replacing the boiler tubes which had to be hammered home from a most uncomfortable position.
Despite the poor health which today (aged 72) prevents his taking an active part in the work of ‘The Forge', Fred Baker still looks and sounds a youthful seventy-two and when he feels well enough likes to potter about in the Forge and ‘get his hands dirty', as he puts it; but a new generation has taken over.
Fred and Connie had three children a follows:-
Graham Baker born 1935
Jennifer Baker born 1940
Geoffrey Baker born 1944 married Penny Giles in 1969 click Geoffrey & Penny Baker for their life story
In 1970 a village magazine 'Hallmark' was launched. Connie was to appear in articles in it quite frequently. To read these go to ---
In Hallmark November 1997 a letter to the Editor was published from Con Baker O.A.P. as follows :- ---- To my dear Village Day Committee and others who helped on the Day. thank you very much for your time and money to make the Big Day a success - and the weather was good to us all.
As one of the "oldies", I shall be sad to see the old Hall pulled down, as when I was "young" the Hall was our good place for dances. Whist drives and dances, oh how the whist drives went on and on when we wanted the dance to start. One Easter we got together to do "The Easter Parade". What fun we had - happy days. So here's good luck to the "New Hall"
PS. By the way, with the new Village Hall, could we have some stocks built in the car park?!?
In 2000 Con Baker described her days at Lacey Green School. click 1922 School memories by Constance Gomme.
Hallmark 1989. Death of Fred Baker. A Baptist Tribute by Peter Green
Fred Baker's outstanding contribution to village life, particularly Loosley Row Baptist Chapel, will be greatly missed.
He began his working life in the furniture trade but soon after his marriage to Connie he joined his father in law's business at the forge (click The Foundry) After working there for thirteen years Fred took over the business and, at his retirement, handed over to his sons.
Fred was involved with the Baptist Chapel throughout. from attending Sunday School as a child to becoming Sunday School Superintendent for many years. Of many notable achievements during this period the Sunday School won the Spooner Shield which tested the children in a written examination about the bible. He also held the office of Secretary for many years and became highly respected in South Bucks circles for his unfailing interest and support beyond the village boundaries. His concern and compassion was evident in frequent visits to the sick and the numerous letters of support and condolence to villagers and others throughout the region.
Fred's Christian leadership will be greatly missed in Loosley Row and our deepest sympathy goes out to Connie, Graham, Geoffrey and his grandchildren.
2008. Connie's 100th birthday was celebrated in style in several ways. The children of Lacey Green School
2008. Report in the Bucks Free Press. A grandmother has been celebrating her 100th birthday in style.
Constance Baker who lives in Foundry Lane, Loosley Row, reached the landmark on Saturday
Con Baker, as she is better known by friends and family, was born in Lower Road, Loosley Row, and has lived there all her life.
The mother-of-three, who was married at St John's Church of England, Lacey Green, has enjoyed a fortnight of celebrations to mark her centenary.
She was visited by 24 children from her old school, St John's Church of England School, Lacey Green two weeks ago. The pupils presented her with a handmade card containing songs they had composed which they also sang to her.
Last Tuesday sons Graham Baker and Geoffrey Baker and daughter Jenny took her on a trip to London. There she went on a cruise on the river Thames, took a trip on the London Eye and visited Covent Garden.
A birthday party held in Lacey Green Village Hall on Saturday was attended by more than 200 people, including 12 who had travelled from Canada to be there. After arriving at the party in a 1938 Morris convertible, the guest of honour walked down the red carpet to find a special handmade cake with 100 candles.
The West Wycombe Brass Band also attended and played Happy Birthday, with Con conducting the band
Her daughter Jenny then held another part the following day at her house in Bledlow Ridge. Con said it was "It was nice to see all the family again and so many friends. It was absolutely wonderful"
Con said, "I have had about two or three hundred cards and lots of presents."
Con, who was the only child of Ralph and Lilla Gomme, married Fred Baker in 1933
Fred died in 1988 but not before the pair celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1983.
Con has three children and four grandchildren. Her eldest son Graham, 73, who lives in Foundry Lane, said "I am proud that she has reached this milestone"
"She has never been ill or in hospital. Obviously she has had coughs and colds but nothing serious. She still goes out and is fine to get around. It is hard to keep her at home. She is an excellent mum. We still see her every day because we all live next door or down the road."
Con is a member of a number of organisations locally including the Loosley Row and Lacey Green WI and Horticultural Society.
Pam White, who lives in Burnett Drive, Walters Ash, has known Con for more than 60 years after marrying into the family. Mrs White said "She is a remarkable woman. I am amazed by all the things she can do still. She is lovely and we have had some happy times with her - going on picnics and seaside visits together."
Con said "I have been healthy and that is the main thing in life. I am sure that being close to my family helps because they are there for me if I need them. There
are so many good memories I wouldn't know what to pick as my favourite. I have had a wonderful life."
Hallmark 2014. Death of Connie Baker. Obituary by Michael Hardy. Constance Baker 12 July1908 to 23 January 2014.
Early this year we lost our oldest resident, Constance, Connie or Con Baker, who lived up to her name by being a constant resident of Loosley Row for an amazing 105 years. Spending her whole life in one village, Connie grew up with many people that became life-long friends. However she was just as friendly and welcoming to people who moved here in more recent years.
Connie Gomme's early life was at a cottage by Loosley House, where her mother was a nursemaid, and her father, Ralph was chauffeur, who apparently drove the only car in the village at the time. She first attended the Loosley Row School until it closed, when she moved to St John's School. Many of Connie's early memories make fascinating reading, especially those of her school days, the games she played, and Sundays spent at the Baptist Chapel.
Her father became involved in running Gomme's Forge with his two brothers, and their mother, Sarah, who lived at Foundry Cottage. In 1933 Connie married Fred Baker. He worked in the furniture industry, but within a year had joined the family's business at the Forge. At that time much of their work was still repairing traction engines and other machinery for local farmers. They had once employed a millwright, so undoubtedly worked on the village windmill.
During the war, Connie worked in the Forge. Her father, Ralph Gomme, died in 1949 and her husband, Fred Baker, took over running the business. Connie and Fred had 3 children, Graham, Jenny and Geoffrey, who all worked in the family business. She also had 4 grandchildren and also 7 great grandchildren when she died.
Loosley Row Baptist Chapel and its Sunday School were important to the community, and formed a large part of the lives of both Connie and her husband Fred, especially when he became Superintendent, and she was teaching there. After closure in 2001, and the Chapel lying idle for some years, Connie wrote that she was pleased to see it transformed into an elegant dwelling.
After Connie's husband died in 1988, she started exploring the world by going on cruises with friends. More locally, she attended meetings and social events of many groups, but she was always grateful to the organisers. She even outlived some of the organisations that she belonged to, such as the Afternoon WI and the 81st Club. But she also encouraged new ventures. When Ted Janes founded the Happy Wanderers walking club, Connie was on the first walk, then aged 83. By the Clubs 20th Anniversary, they wrote that, at the age of 103, Connie was finding stiles a bit challenging.
She enjoyed her garden, and was a keen supporter of our Horticultural Society. She attended meetings and social events, insisting on a seat in the front row, for the best view and best chance of hearing the speaker. She also exhibited her flowers (particularly roses) and vegetables at the Annual Show until the age of 104.
Connie's childhood memories show a distinct mischievous character, which stayed with her all her life. Nobody would now remember her adventures during her 90 minute long lunch breaks at school. In the 1990s Connie and Mary Adams, famous for being the village chimney sweep, attending social events together. I well remember them both giggling like a couple of schoolgirls.
People say that Connie blossomed on reaching 100. She had a celebrity status, often appearing in the local media and had an eventful life over the last 5 years. For her 100th birthday, her family took her to London for a day, which included a river cruise and a ride on the London Eye. She arrived at her Birthday Party at the Village Hall in a 1938 Morris. Many relatives from Canada attended, and everybody admired the spectacular 10 piece cake with 100 candles. The same year she rode on a model train pulled by a steam engine, easily defying those who doubted that she could climb aboard.
At 101 Connie was a model taking part in a WI Fashion Show, and the following year she helped to launch the Over-50s Lunch Club. When a splended Village History Exhibition was held, Connie arrived in a 1954 Rolls Royce to cut the tape for the opening ceremony.
Around 1920 Connie had watched her father on his motorbike at the Kop Hill Climb. So 90 years later she went to the revived event. At 103, she amazed onlookers by calmly climbing the steps onto a tall Steam Carriage. As it was older than Connie it could not drive up Kop Hill, but she enjoyed a ride around the paddock. At the following year's event, Connie was determined to ride up Kop Hill itself, and was taken up in a modern electric car.
Connie was at many events for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics. She also had many outings by car and coach, with trips to gardens far and wide, including Highgrove and Kew Gardens only a month before she became 105. She particularly enjoyed attending Village Cricket Matches, at the Sports Club and was one of the team's most stalwart supporters.
Beside the organised events, Connie was often taken for more informal trips and meals, keeping a very busy diary. Connie was delighted when people went to see her, or to play Scrabble, and was doubly pleased if you were a man and greeted her with a kiss.
Her keen sense of humour never diminished, but although her hearing and sight deteriorated, Connie enjoyed good health until the last few months, claiming that her long life was due to black coffee, cigarettes, and plenty of cabbage. But remember that her grandmother, Sarah Gomme, ran the Forge for many years and lived to 102.
Connie told me that she enjoyed life since becoming 100, when everyone had made such a fuss of her. I say that she also gave us much pleasure in recent years. She was lucky to have her family's help to enable her to stay in her own home until the last few months.
On the 5th February, around 170 people were at Amersham Crematorium for Connie's funeral. She had said nobody needed to wear dark clothes at her funeral. That reflects the bright, fun loving, sociable nature of her character, which will long be remembered in Loosley and Lacey Green, and was reflected in the music played at the Crematorium.
Connie was always delighted to see children. As their oldest former pupil, on her recent birthdays, St John's schoolchildren sang to her, and wrote "A Song for Connie" for her 105th Birthday. After she died, they adapted some of the words which I read at Connie's funeral.
"Dear Connie was wonderful
Our special friend
Dear Connie, you always were such fun.
There was nobody like you.
And that's why we're glad,
You were our friend.
Graham, Jenny and Geoffrey have asked me to pass on their thanks to everyone who attended their mother's funeral, and gave donations of over £1000 for Rennie Grove Hospice Care.
They are also especially grateful to many people who helped Connie in various ways such as visiting her and taking her on outings. I think that some who deserve special mention are Joyce, Marion and Les, Bette and Norman and Rosemary.