Eighth Generation

7186. Eva Coffee was born on 27 September 1877 in Texas. Eva died in Colorado Co., TX on 17 August 1956 and was buried at Odd Fellows Rest Cemetery in Columbus, Colorado Co., TX in August 1956 .^23477,23478

Obituary, The Colorado County Citizen, Aug. 23, 1956

Graveside Rites for Mrs. Drew C. Baker Held Here Sunday

Graveside services were held in Odd Fellows Rest cemetery Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock for Mrs. Drew Cunningham Baker, age 78, of Alexandria, La., who died there at 6:40 a.m. Aug. 17 after a long Illness. Rev. George Ricker ot the Methodist church officiated and Columbus Funeral home was in charge. Prior services had been held In Alexandria.

Mrs. Baker was born Eva Coffey[sic] in Colorado county, Sept. 27, 1877. Her husband, who died last January, was the son of Ben M. Baker, founder of The Colorado County Citizen.

Although she had been blind since she was 35, Mrs. Baker had taught a Sunday school class and had continued her work with the Methodist womens society.

Surviving are 2 daughters, Mrs. Albert E. Pavey of Houston and Miss. Era Lee Baker of Alexandria and a son Drew M. Baker of New Orleans, also 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, and a twin sister, Era, who is Mrs. W. Eugene Mitchell of Houston.

A number of relatives and friends from other places attended the services here.

Eva Coffee and Drew Cunningham Baker were married on 11 December 1900 in Colorado Co., TX.²³⁴⁷⁹ They²³⁴⁷⁹ appeared in the census on 23 April 1910 in Alexandria, Rapides Parish, LA.²³⁴⁸⁰ Drew Cunningham Baker, son of Benjamin M. Baker and Virginia Cunningham, was born on 5 February 1875 in Texas. He appeared in the census on 12 June 1900 at with his parents in Columbus, Colorado Co., TX. Drew died in Columbus, Colorado Co., TX on 4 January 1956 and was buried at Odd Fellows Rest Cemetery in Columbus, Colorado Co., TX in January 1956 .^23481,23482

Obituary, The Colorado County Citizen, Jan. 12, 1956, Page 4

Baker, Drew Cunningham

Son of Citizen Founder Buried Here Friday

Graveside services were held in Odd Fellows Rest cemetery here Friday afternoon for Drew Cunningham Baker of Alexandria, La., who died there Jan. 4, just a month and a day before his 81st birthday. Services were held at the Methodist church in Alexandria before the body was brought overland here. Rev. R. Russell Heaner officiated in the graveside rites and Columbus Funeral home was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Baker was born in Columbus and was a 3rd-generation Texan. His father, Ben M. Baker, founded The Colorado County Citizen in 1857 and soon afterwards went away to fight in the War Between the States, leaving his wife in charge here. He owned and edited The Citizen for over 50 years.

Mrs. Ben Baker, mother of Drew, was the former Jennie Cunningham, whose father Leander Calvin Cunningham, was serving with Houston’s army at San Jacinto when Santa Anna was captured.

Drew as a young boy learned to set type by hand in The Citizen office. In later years, deciding that linotype would supersede hand typesetting, he took a linotype course in New Orleans, after the completion of which he got a job with Town Talk in Alexandria.

His wife, who survives, was Miss Eva Coffee of Columbus.

Other survivors are a son, D. M. Baker of New Orleans, 2 daughters, Mrs. Albert E. Pavey of Houston and Miss Era Lee Baker of Alexandria; 2 sisters, Mrs. Ada B. Rabel of Harlingen and Mrs. Bennie B. Ramey of Dallas, 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Eva Coffee and Drew Cunningham Baker had the following children: