Alden Lovell Baker, Sr.

  General Notes:

Comments from Alden L. Baker, Jr.

Dad was a fairly uncomplicated man who worked hard to support his family. Soon after he married my mother, they purchased a home in the Winter Hill section of Somerville. He would live there for the remainder of his years. (He spent the last months of his life at the Spaulding Hospital in Boston on the eighth floor for terminally ill cancer patients. Although he had been operated on for prostate cancer some years earlier, it had only delayed the inevitable.)

He worked for eight months short of twenty years at the New England Dress Wool and Meat (slaughter house) where he was a meat cutter. His union didn't support him and when he could no longer cut meat, he was discharged with no disability nor pension.

Subsequent to that, he went to work for the Yellow Cab Company in Somerville. Although certainly not a person's career choice, he was a top "booker" (bringing in the top money waybills). He had a quiet charm and was asked for by many regular fares. The hours were many. He would rise at five o'clock in the morning-- prepare his usual staple of shredded wheat at the kitchen sink while looking out into our huge backyard. (Can recall him putting the "cakes" of shredded wheat in a bowl and then running warm water over them to soften them…)

Since the cab company's office was within walking distance, he would then walk to work arriving at six thirty. His day would end a four thirty. He would do this six days a week and all holidays-- Christmas and New Years included.

I can still recall as a youngster, walking down to the cab yard to wait for him to "put up". You could always tell if he had a good day by the greeting you would receive. If his tips had been good, he would have almost a smirk as he would wait for his son's query of the day's take.

When he retired at the age of 65, I strongly suspected that he missed that "daily grind" although he never admitted it.

  Research Notes:

Personal Information What to do next?
Name: Alden Baker
SSN: 013-05-6352
Last Residence: 02145 Somerville, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States of America
Born: 11 Dec 1909
Died: Sep 1983
State (Year) SSN issued: Massachusetts (Before 1951 )

Personal Information What to do next?
Name: Alden L Baker
Certificate: 006963
Death Place: Boston
Death Date: September 28, 1983
Birthplace: Massachusetts
Birth Date: December 11, 1909

Alden married Helen T. Ferrari on September 18, 1933 in Whitman Massachusetts. (Helen T. Ferrari was born on February 08, 1910 in Bologna Italy, died on November 17, 1963 in Massachusetts General Hospitals and was buried in Whitman Massachusetts.)

Alden also married Giovanna (Jennie, Jean) Marie Gallo, daughter of Raphael Gallo and Anna Gallo, on August 16, 1948 in Somerville, Middlesex, Massachusetts. (Giovanna (Jennie, Jean) Marie Gallo was born on August 06, 1921, died on September 27, 2004 in Port Orange Volusia County Florida and was buried on October 13, 2004 in South Carver Massachusetts.)