In Memory

Truman Baker



 
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06/16/11 01:59 PM #1    

Darwin Browning

 

JAMES TRUMAN BAKER

9-16-42 TILL 8-15 1997

 

There is so much good that can be said about Truman. His 54 years here on earth was far to short for such a wonderful guy. Truman and I met our Sophomore year and spent many wonderful hours together. Truman lived with me and my family for a long time while his family was going through some troublesome times. Truman was the brother I never had. There wasn't much that had been thought up that we didn't try. I think back like most of us do and wonder how we lived through it all. When we first met we would take turns eating lunch at each others house. We did this until his mom took ill and that was when he moved in with my family. My mom would let us play hooky on Friday afternoons and then Write Mrs. Vickers a note on Mondays making up an excuse why we missed Friday afternoon. Mrs Vickers would read the note and just shake her head. Bless her heart. Truman's dad worked in the oil field and was always gone and his brother was enrolled at UT. He would refer to my mom as his second mom. One of my first memories goes back to shortly after we met. Truman had a friend, who had a very small aluminum boat, that invited us to go fishing with him and his friend at the gravel pits. We were much to young to be sipping on "refreshments" brought by the older man that owned the boat. So about a hour or so on the water three of us decided we had to p**, all at the same time, so all three of us ended up at the back of the boat on the same side. When water started pouring in we all ran to the other side of the boat, more water came in. After changing sides a few times the boat was filling up with water until it sunk. We all swam to shore. The boat and all the fishing tackle were never recovered. Truman and I double dated many times but I won't tell any of those details. My dad worked for Holsum Bread which required him to leave the house every morning around 3:00 am. Many times Truman and I hid in the car till he left because when we got home his bathroom light would be on so we knew he was up. Years later dad laughed and told me he knew we were in the car because he had checked our bed, you know how parents are. The summers between our junior year and the summer after graduation Truman and I worked For Brannan Brothers with Gary Meissner, Elton Tuch. & Joe Rosson. Boy are there some stories to tell there. We slept outside where ever we could find a place to set up our cots. We bathed where ever there was a river or lake. sometimes we had to resort to a filling station lavatory. And we call them the good ole days. No matter what the situation you could always count on Truman to spice things up a bit. In 1962 I had moved to Edna for a short time. Truman was coming to visit so I got him a blind date with a girl that had just broken up with her boy friend. So we went to Victoria to a movie then back to Edna. We were stopped at a red light and all of a sudden my door opens and I'm being pushed up against the steering wheel (2 door car) and this really, really big guy reaches into the back seat, grabs Truman's date and says "you belong with me". It was her x boy friend. I thought after Truman recovered he was going to kill me for sure.

I could go on and on but I won't.

May you rest in peace my friend, I still miss you.

Darwin Browning


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