Minnie Marie Baucom, age 92, a former resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died March 27, 2018, in Wichita, KS.
She was born March 21, 1926, in Indianapolis, IN, the daughter of Keith and Kathryn Pence Kernodle. Raised as Minnie Marie, she dropped the Minnie somewhere in her married life and continued as Marie.
She grew up in Indianapolis. Her parents followed the work lines during the depression, so they were in a lot of states by the time they finally re-settled in Indiana. She lived in Indianapolis when she met the man who would become her husband having been introduced by her older sister. They were married in Phoenix, AZ, with an uncle and sister present. Lewis and Marie spent their life making a home for five kids and a whole parcel of grandchildren.
Marie taught her children in every sense of the word how to keep the wolf from the door. Her discipline was swift but always followed by a kiss, a smile and the knowledge that we were loved.
She would try anything once and if it worked she may do it again! When they were newlyweds, she made a brag she could drive anything on wheels. One day, Lewis needed a driver for his logging truck, so he agreed to let her. Marie got a little too feisty and a little too fast for a dirt road, so the pole truck started to weave, and she wound up driving through a ditch and cutting a telephone pole in half, but, otherwise unhurt. Scared, she refused to get back in and he insisted she was going to drive that truck into the timber! She did finally because there was no one else. That was the philosophy they lived by: “get back in the saddle”.
She loved to bake. She would make pies and cakes, and when they lived in the lumber camps, Lewis would come home and find men sitting around his yard waiting for the pies to cool.
Later, Marie kept the home alive and warm while he drove a semi around the country.
Lewis learned early on how to keep peace in the home. When Marie got mad at him he would go outside and work and by the time he was back in the house she had forgotten why she was mad in the first place, he claimed this practice worked several times for him!
Marie was always there with wisdom and advice for her children, sometimes the wisdom was overshadowed by concern and she would say later “I should have kept my mouth shut!”. But it was done with love and concern.
As a grandmother, she knew the way to win her grandchildren over. She made the best cheeseburgers! And for the sons-in-law, it was fried chicken, cheeseburgers, and pies! Marie was a great cook, a fact her husband took credit for often. He loved to remind her, “You couldn’t cook when we got married and I had to teach you how!”
Mama, we miss you
Survivors include two sisters and a brother. Her children include Joseph Baucom (Judi), Kansas City, KS, Dora George (Robert-deceased) in Wichita, KS, JoAnn Scott (John) in Ottawa, KS, and Kathy Swingle in Edgewater, FL; 10 grandchildren; three step-granddaughters; 12 great-grandchildren; and eight step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father; mother; and step-father; three sisters; one brother; a daughter; and her husband of 64 years, Lewis Baucom.
Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct funeral services at 12:30 PM Friday, March 30, at the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS. Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery, Ft. Scott. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.