Baker, Henry Nicholas
Item
Title
Baker, Henry Nicholas
Creator
Bobby Ciarletta
Birth Date
1941-05-15
Birthplace
Englewood, NJ
Death Date
2016-08-17
Burial Place
Mahwah Cemetery
Occupation
Structural Steel Ironworker
Military Branch
Service Start Date
1958-11
Service End Date
1961-02
Military Service Description
Served in Germany; waited at Fort Knox, KY for discharge.
Biographical Text
Henry N. Baker was born in Englewood, NJ, though he was raised in Edgewater, NJ. His parents were Henry Baker Sr. and Mathilda Polster Baker.
Along with his friends, Baker joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17. He served from November 1958 to February 1961, in Germany, where he had relatives. This was during the Cold War, and the notable Berlin Crisis. Baker was not in active combat, but spent his time in service as a truck driver and pole lineman. He stayed in touch with family, sending letters with the U.S. postal service. He described being able to see Europe while in the military, and also remembers how he, “saw Elvis Presley and he bought everyone in the bar a drink”, as quoted from his interview with Lauren Paolillo in Mahwah Memories.
When he returned to the United States, Baker waited at Fort Knox, KY to be discharged. He would later live in Louisville, KY as well as Palisades Park, NJ, Cliffside Park, NJ, and finally Mahwah for 48 years.
After returning home, Baker felt he could finally work for his family again. He married Nancy E. Baker, and they had a son, Jon H. Baker. He worked some in the army, but then went to an ironworkers apprentice school. This would sprout into an opportunity for him to be a structural steel ironworker for locals 361, 483, and 11. As a result, Baker helped to construct landmarks like the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the 1964 World’s Fair, and the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.
In the community, Baker was also a parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, in Mahwah, and president of the men’s club. Others viewed him as an, “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, and a dedicated bingo worker during the ‘70’s and ‘80’s”, according to his obituary. He also volunteered at Valley Hospital, and became cub master of pack 258.
Along with his friends, Baker joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17. He served from November 1958 to February 1961, in Germany, where he had relatives. This was during the Cold War, and the notable Berlin Crisis. Baker was not in active combat, but spent his time in service as a truck driver and pole lineman. He stayed in touch with family, sending letters with the U.S. postal service. He described being able to see Europe while in the military, and also remembers how he, “saw Elvis Presley and he bought everyone in the bar a drink”, as quoted from his interview with Lauren Paolillo in Mahwah Memories.
When he returned to the United States, Baker waited at Fort Knox, KY to be discharged. He would later live in Louisville, KY as well as Palisades Park, NJ, Cliffside Park, NJ, and finally Mahwah for 48 years.
After returning home, Baker felt he could finally work for his family again. He married Nancy E. Baker, and they had a son, Jon H. Baker. He worked some in the army, but then went to an ironworkers apprentice school. This would sprout into an opportunity for him to be a structural steel ironworker for locals 361, 483, and 11. As a result, Baker helped to construct landmarks like the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the 1964 World’s Fair, and the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.
In the community, Baker was also a parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, in Mahwah, and president of the men’s club. Others viewed him as an, “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, and a dedicated bingo worker during the ‘70’s and ‘80’s”, according to his obituary. He also volunteered at Valley Hospital, and became cub master of pack 258.
Family Members
Parents: Henry Baker Sr., Mathilda Polster Baker
Wife: Nancy E. Baker
Son: Jon H. Baker
Wife: Nancy E. Baker
Son: Jon H. Baker
Bibliography
Henry Baker, in Lauren Paolillo, ed. Mahwah Military Memories (2017).
Henry N. Baker Jr. in Obituaries, Suburban News North, p. 14, Sep. 1, 2016.
For Safety’s Sake, Photo, The Record, p. 37 (B-3), Jun. 13, 1991.
Henry N. Baker Jr, in the U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1, ancestry.com.
Henry N Baker Jr, in the U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1, ancestry.com.
Henry Nicholas Baker Jr., findagrave.com.
Collection
Citation
Bobby Ciarletta, “Baker, Henry Nicholas,” Mahwah Veterans Project, accessed July 2, 2024, https://mahwahmuseum.reclaim.hosting/MVP/items/show/301.