Submitted by his Family and Department
Paul D. Baker
Turtle Creek Volunteer Fire Department Saline County – Arkansas
Classification: Volunteer
Rank: Lieutenant
Date of Death: August 10‚ 2007
Age: 39
Firefighters have always been a family. Paul married into the fire service. As a young man‚ Paul used to walk‚ hitchhike or ride a bike to see his sweetheart‚ Arla. Arla’s father‚ John Pierce is a longtime member of the Turtle Creek Volunteer Fire Department so Arla had been hanging out at the station for years. Paul started coming around and found he liked the fire service almost as much as he liked Arla‚ so he became a brother to all of Arla’s other brothers there at the fire station.
Paul was an avid outdoorsman and loved adventure. He found great enjoyment working with his hands and was a skilled craftsman with wood and leather. He was very mechanically inclined and could be found most days off from his job as a truck driver for Acme Brick Co. either working on the trucks and equipment at the station or sitting at a table making something with his hands out of leather or wood for one of his many friends.
Paul loved children and was always at the station on Halloween night with the trucks pulled out and a bowl of candy.
Paul was serving in the Arkansas Army National Guard when he met his wife to be. He later served in the U.S. Army and joined the Turtle Creek Fire Department‚ before their marriage on May 19‚ 1986.
Paul fell to his death while working an automobile accident on the Saline River Bridge on Interstate 30. After the driver had been cared for and placed in an ambulance‚ Paul was working to help make the vehicle safe and clear the roadway when he fell to his death over the bridge railing. He leaves behind not only his loving wife and family but all of his Brother and Sister Firefighters who miss him.
Not only did Paul marry into the fire service‚ he helped to populate it. He leaves behind his wife‚ Firefighter/EMT Arla Baker‚ son‚ Firefighter Andy Baker‚ son‚ Firefighter Michael Squeak Mobley‚ daughter‚ Firefighter Stephanie Baker-Fagan‚ and son-in-law Firefighter Roger Fagan. Daughter‚ Gena Baker is not yet old enough to be a firefighter. Neither is his three grandchildren Katelyn‚ Kimberly‚ Anthony and Darrin but they probably will end up helping others just like Paul.
I only knew Paul for a short time, but he taught me nearly everything I know about the fire service. Not a day goes by when the pager sounds those dreadful tones that I don’t stop and take a second to reflect on my life, and always in the back of my mind I will think, am I going home tonight? We all miss you Paul, every day. See you at the station in the sky.
– Tony DonaldsonFor what i can remember he was a great grandpa and i miss him so much. I can’t wait to see him again. When i feel like i need a place to feel/see him the fire station is were i can feel/see him the most. I dont know were i would be without him.
– Katelyn Baker-HolimanMy Daddy was the best. In my eyes there wasn’t anything that he couldn’t do. I was still living with my parents when I had my first daughter Katelyn. It seemed like my Daddy’s whole world revolved around her a lot of the time. He wasn’t just a grandpa, he was Super Grandpa. My Daddy taught me a lot about firefighting. The leather crafts and wood working he did always looked amazing. He was a hard working man on and off the clock. Some I my favorite memories are just sitting in the front yard watching Daddy work on a seedeater on the tailgate of his truck. It’s the simple things that you don’t realize at the time are so important. Daddy used to drive his Acme Brick truck in the Brickfest parade. He was a people person and passed that trait down to me. There wasn’t very many times that he didn’t have a smile on his face and he loved to whistle. If Daddy was whistling, Daddy was happy. He was my hero before he passed and is even more so now. I could go on forever… As far as I’m concerned there was never a better man and never will be. I love you Daddy and I know you are up there watching us all. You sure have a lot of grand kids now that I know you would have spoiled rotten. Although most of them never had the privilege of knowing you, I help to paint a really awesome picture you you in their minds by showing them pictures and telling them stories. I’ll see you again one day. Love you bunches.
– Stephanie HolimanTo the Baker family,
– LISA HOPMANYour firefighter family will never forget Paul your Father, Grandfather, and Husband, on this the 13th anniversary of his death.