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"OFILES OFINTERESTING LOCAL FOLK-

By Wayne Rowland

ruman Baker and Doyle Thomas Cassville's 'Country Boys' Bank Presidents They've been friends since Cassville High School days. The similar trails they followed since childhood led them into wartime matrimony with high school sweethearts, Air Corps service in the Pacific in

World War II, post-war business experience, then the banking profession. For a good many years the

B-24, B-17 and B-29 bombers until released as a Captam m early 1947. He credits the Air Corps with providing him valuable further education and a broadening experience with people of other backgrounds out in the bigger world. He seriously considered making military his career, but fatherhood and strong roots in the Ozarks made him a civilian.

works and plays hard and is a contented man. I' "With a fine family, friends, a good bird dog, and golf clubs, what more do I need?" I he asks. ,

II

Doyle Thomas and Family

Baker and Thomas are English names, so no doubt Banker Baker today shows old chum. Banker 1bomas. how to both of Cassville's bank presi- get "spit and polish" executive shine Baker and the Barry County dents come 'from British Bank's Doyle Thomas have stock. But, like Bake, Doyle his childbood on the Jenkins ago next month, Doyle joined played their roles of Cassville Thomas knows little about his scene. He recalls those days of the Barry County Bank staff bank presidents in commendBack to the Home Town ancestry except that his two able style. playing and scrapping with as a teller. He moved up to - sets of grandparents came to brothers and Sisters, hanging cashier in 1952, and has been Truman, or "Bake" to Lieutenant Baker. World Wife "Fran" bought tbe old Missouri and Barry County by many, is the older of the two War II Navigator. "Music Store" in Cassville way of Kentucky. They were around his dad's store, doing president since July of 1968. "youthful but not young" his chores, and going bareLike his friend and competishortly before Bake shucked farmers. bankers, so let's peer into footed in summer. tor at "the other bank", Doyle off his uniform. They operated Doyle's maternal grand"Bake's" oven first. He plucked a few fish from says his banking years have semi-professional baseball that business, renamed "The parents, Dave Williams and the creek and, w'itb boyhood been challenging and enjoyCorner Store," for eight years wife (whose family name was Kinfolk. Past and Present league in Oklahoma. chums, refreshed himself at able. And suddenly Bake was -soda fountain, gifts, maga- Hemphill), settled near Mac- favorite swimming holes ... "There has been real satiszines, and a lot of other thmgs. Dowell. His paternal grandHis maternal grandparents, playing semi-pro ball in Oklasometimes in their birthday faction in trying to do the job George and Emma Owings, homa, with other promising It was a popular spot...and the parents, Nathan Thomas and suits. well, and in trying to serve the bus station. The hours were wife, settled at Jenkins. came to the Ozarks from young atbletes mixed with Then there was baseball and good people of this area in Doyle's father, C.J. basketball, tops to spin, kites various ways," he says. "I'm Illinois. His Baker grand- "has-been" old pros. His team long. "I learned a good deal about Thomas, died in 1958 at age 75. parents left the east and played three games a week in business during those years," He operated a hardware store to fly, rabbits to trap, mar- thankful for the good fortune trekked westward to Okla- Okie towns like Perry, Gerber Bake says. That experience, bles, horseshoes to be pitched, I've enjoyed in life so far and . homa, the Texas, before back- and Cushing. There was no plus the fact that he was liked a little gardening to do, horses appreciate the encouragetracking as far as Missouri. salary, but the club arranged to ride, cows to be milked. ment many have given me and respected in the comGranddad Joe Baker was part a job for him, cooking in a "Like everybody else we along the way." munity, prompted the First Indian and proud of it. Today cafe. He lived with the club Doyle's major pastime or were far from rich, but we National Bank to invite him t:> there are several Baker clans manager. enjoyed a lot of fresh air, fun, hobby, which he doesn't say jOin the firm as a cashier in in this area, sharing some of "I could catch and throw early 1955, to succeed the and enough work to build too much about, is tending to that Indian blood, no doubt, and hit all right, but I wasn't retiring Bill Priest. He didn't Character," he remembers the Thomases' beautiful home and more or less related. speedy and decided I could imagine he'd become the witb a smile. Doyle made and grounds at 112 Rainbow Truman's parents, Everet never make big time baseoccasional trips with his Drive. bank's president in 1972. and Mable Baker, both de- ball," he says. Back home, he merchant father to Aurora to "That's how I relax and get ceased, had four sons (Morse, "fiddled around" at several pick up freight and supplies my recreation," he says, The Banker and the Man Truman, Lavern, and Char- things until Cassville's foot-· for the store. He reads the Wall Street ley) and four daughters ot.:r. who was also president of a "flew all over the Pacific" in ball pro.

First National Bank's Truman

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