L&L Baird

Lewis Reed Baird was born on August 11, 1925 in Basalt, Idaho, to Asa and Winnifred Kirkman Baird. He was the eighth child of nine children, six boys and three girls, they are as follows. The oldest child was Asa Wayne, second was Vera, third Elmer, fourth Beth, fifth Reva, sixth Joseph Keith, seventh Clair Kirkman, eighth was Lewis and a youngest child was Robert Neil. Lewis came into a family that had a rich pioneer heritage and parents who were faithful in the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Reed was 4 years old when on Oct. 29, 1929 the stock market crashed, the day known as "Black Tuesday". By 1930 the resulting depression was a national disaster. Millions of unemployed persons could find no jobs. People out of work would do whatever they could to make a living. This was the condition our country was in during part of Reed's childhood. Despite these conditions Reed had a happy childhood.
One of Reed's earliest memories from his childhood was when he was around 4 or 5 years old. He was with his mother who was quilting with a group of ladies when a cute little girl who was also there must have caught his eye. Being the charming little guy he was he crept up behind her and kissed her on the cheek. All the ladies laughed and really teased him about it.
When Reed was 5 years old he got very sick with pneumonia. Due to this sickness he had to have surgery in his lung region. He said he didn't know what happened but after that surgery it seemed as though his body's thermostat got out of sync because he has been cold ever since. Reed loved the desert and that could explain partly why - because it was warm there.
When Reed was 6 years old his family moved into a house that was constructed of poured concrete. They called it the cement house. They lived there about a year. There was no well on this place so they had to carry water for household use in buckets from neighbors. The wood cook stove was the only source of heat in the house. It took stacks and stacks of wood to keep the house warm. Although the family owned a car during this time it was used for work so the family had to walk or ride a horse to town for any household items. It was a 2 ½ mile walk to the town site from where they lived.
When Reed was 9 years old his family moved from Basalt to Firth. Firth is where he would finish out the rest of his school years.
Reed said he and his siblings loved to wrestle. His mother would not allow any wrestling in the house so they would go outside and wrestle around. His brother Wayne was the oldest so the younger brothers liked to test their strength against him. Reed always had chores to do even as a small child. He would help weed the garden, he would feed the pigs by taking them the weeds and kitchen scrapes. As he got older he helped milk the cow. He remembers hauling wood with his dad and brothers.
Reed loved going to the movie theatre in Shelley, ID. A movie ticket was fifteen cents back then and in order to earn the money to pay for a movie ticket Reed would hunt magpie eggs and heads. And also squirrel heads. The bounty paid ½ cent for an egg, one cent for magpie heads, and two cents for a squirrel head. Reed got pretty good at using his sling shot. He said he would let the squirrels get part way out of their holes before hitting them so that they would fall out of the hole and not back in where they couldn't get to them. They would take their bounty to an office in Shelley where they would get paid. It was six miles from their home in Firth to Shelley. Their mode of transportation to go to the movie was their very own legs. If they were lucky they would find someone who would give them a ride back to Firth. But if they could not find a ride it was worth it to them to walk the 12 mile round trip in order to go to the movie.
Reed loved to play marbles. He talked about how he and the boys would carry their marbles in a bag in their pockets so they would always be ready for a game. One of the places they would play was on the dirt floor of the basement under the school. They would draw a big circle in the dirt and then taking turns they would try to shoot and hit their opponent's marbles out of the circle. If they did that they got to keep those marbles. After all these many years later Reed still had a bag of his most prized and favorite marbles from his childhood.
Reed also had a mischievous side. He remembers one of his school teachers that he described as a big boned German girl. Reed and his friend Glen Thomas would shoot spit wads at her bottom when she would turn her back side to them.
If they got caught they would have to march up to her desk, put their hands on the desk and the teacher would whack the top of their hands with her ruler. Reed said she also had another way of getting back at him. She knew he did not like to read. So she would say to him "Reed Read"! Reed said he never sluffed school not because he was afraid of the school officials but because of the consequences he knew he would suffer if his parents found out. During his High School years, Reed participated in track, boxing, football, wrestling and basketball. In his later years he would be found particpating in horse shoes, bowling, and walking. there were summers where his grandcildren would have horse shoe tounaments at the cabin and who ever won out of the grandcildren would play grandpa for the championship. His best subjects were Geography, History and Math.
Reed mentioned that they were not fussy eaters like the kids of today. He said we ate whatever was put before us and was very glad to have it.
As a child Reed recalls a couple of very unique pets they had. He said they had a raspberry patch and a mama skunk had had her babies there. Every time they would go to pick berries there was this very strong skunk smell. So the kids decided they were going to try and catch them. They caught two of the baby skunks using a fishing net and a gunny sack. The rest of the babies ran off. They tied string to the legs of the two baby skunks that they had caught so that they could not get away. After awhile the mother skunk left and with time the baby skunks they caught got used to them. They fixed them so they could not spray the skunk scent and they became their new pets for awhile.
Reed remembers when gas was 18 cents a gallon and a postage stamp was 1 ½ cents.
On Sundays , Reed said his dad always wore a white shirt. It was only for Sundays! But the kids just wore what they had. One Sunday on Dec. 7, 1941 after coming home from church they turned on the radio and heard President Roosevelt speaking. He said, "The United States had declared war on Japan." He heard his mother say, "My sons are gone!" Three of her sons did end up serving during World War II, Reed being one of them. Reed remembers during this time of war how they had rationing stamps on a lot of things like, shoes, gas, sugar and other food items. One gas stamp was good for 5 gallons of gas.
Reed had to earn his own spending money. He worked mostly in the beet fields because they could make more money there than in the potatoes. In the spring, he would thin the beets and be paid by the acre. In the fall he topped the beets, tossed them in the winrow and was then paid by the pound. He would start on a row, going as fast as he could, up one row and down the next. He hardly took time to even look around. While Reed and his brother Clair were still in high school, they earned enough money working in the beets to go in together on buying a car. It was a 1936 Plymouth 2-door.
Reed recalls also working after school each day for a man by the name of Al Fisher who ran the grain elevator in Firth. Mr. Fisher had a ranch in the Arco - Leslie area and during one summer Reed went with Mr. Fisher's foreman to put up hay. While he was there he went to a Saturday night dance in Mackey and danced a couple of dances and ate a sandwich with a very attractive young lady named Lola Mangum. She was from Shelley and was there visiting a friend. About a week and a half later Reed was on a bus headed back to Firth and Lola was also a passenger on the same bus going back to Shelley. They talked and he remembers he took a fancy comb out of her hair and teasingly would not give it back to her. He didn't see her again until about 3 months later when to his good fortune Lola's father moved his family to a farm which put them in the Firth School District and Lola ended up going to Firth High School where Reed was going to school. During this time of their high school years together they started dating. Reed graduated from High School in 1944. Shortly after graduation, Reed and Lola were married on May 27, 1944. They were later sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple for time and all eternity on Jan 23, 1965.
In June 1944 just shortly after being married Reed was inducted in the service and sent to Boise for a physical exam and to get processed. A big burly Marine Sergeant walked in and announced he needed twenty two marines and started pointing his finger at guys saying you, you, and you. That is how he came to be in the Marines and not the Army. He didn't get to see Lola again until he was stationed in San Diego, CA. Lola saved up enough money from working to come by train to spend a week with him before he was shipped out for Hawaii.
Reed did not readily talk about his experiences in the war. He was in battles in Japan and on the Pacific Islands. He did however say that one of the terrible experiences of the war was the time he was with his company when they took the Island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese. It was critical to the U.S. Military that this corridor of shipping stay open. As this battle took place, there were men who Reed knew well who were killed. He said, "Out of my whole company only 70 or 80 of us men made it. He was one of the lucky ones. After the Atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, His company went in as occupational forces just 3 days later. He describes how for miles all around there was absolutely nothing not even a blade of grass.
Reed returned home on July 21, 1946, he landed in San Francisco, CA. They came in the night and stayed there for two weeks until they were released from active duty. He said it was so good to be home again. After returning from serving in the military, Reed and Lola stayed for a month or so with Lola's parents. Reed tells how Clarence - Lola's dad had gone hunting but did not have any luck. Reed did not have a gun so asked if he could use Clarence's gun and he would see what he could do. He drove out to a place he wanted to go and with luck he spotted a deer on top of a hill. Reed circled around behind the deer and got him with his first shot. He was back within a short time. Lola's dad just shook his head. He couldn't believe it especially when he handed the gun back and saw that there was only one bullet missing.
In the early years of their marriage they lived in Shelley, Firth and Grant. Reed did various jobs working for farmers. He worked in a spud house, thinned beets, helped with hay and grain. While living in Shelley in the fall of 1947 Reed was hired to work for the Railroad. He worked that winter and spring for the railroad and then the work was cut off. So he went back working for some farmers. The following fall he was called back to the Railroad and moved to Pocatello. He continued to work for the railroad, working for them in the winter and for Simplot's during the summer. Reed took a transfer with the railroad to Butte Montana where they lived for 8 months. When they returned to Pocatello in February it took them 3 days to travel because of snow. The snow between Roberts and Idaho Falls was so deep it was like a tunnel and they had to follow a snow plow. It was this way all the way to Idaho Falls but when they got to Pocatello there was no snow.
After Returning to Pocatello, Reed stayed with the railroad until he retired. Reed started with the railroad as a Bagman and then worked up to a ticket Conductor, then to a Brakeman Conductor. His children remember him wearing his overalls and conductor hat.
In 1947, Reed and Lola were blessed with their first child, a son, Cary Reed Baird born April 21,1947. Three years later they were blessed with another son Gene Conan Baird born April 8, 1950. It would be seven years before they were blessed with a lovely daughter Staralee Baird born July 15, 1957 and then nearly 4 years later their family was complete when another beautiful daughter, Venus Gay Baird was born on May 19, 1961. They were also blessed with 18 grandchildren, Jaryde, Kayde, Kyndra, Joshua, Aaron, Jason "scott", Heather, Kevin, Greg, Benjamin "Chase", Cheyann, Caleb, Tara, Valeigha, Jacob "Spencer", Jake, Jordon and Jeffery "Skyler".
Reed and Lola bought their first house in Pocatello on Wayne Street. They decided they would rather live in the country so they bought a house outside of town on Bannock Highway. They lived here many years and really enjoyed this home. They would have probably continued to live there but someone came a long and gave them a offer to good to refuse and they ended up selling it and moving into a condo on Cedar Hills Drive. Cary and Gene had left home by then and they just had Star and Venus. After Venus was married in 1981, they decided they would rather live in a house again instead of a condo and bought a home on W. Eldredge St. Reed and Lola really enjoyed working and fixing up this house together. They liked the fact it was just kitty corner to the church and they could walk to church. They kept busy here with church callings and Reed enjoyed going to the temple often.
Reed liked lots of bright colors around him. He especially liked the color purple. Which would explain why they painted their house purple. Reed was told he had a real talent for decorating. He never had any training in this field it just came naturally. He knew how to use a sewing machine, an iron and how to do his laundry. He didn't like to cook much but could do it if necessary. He said he learned some of these basic skills in the military.
Reed enjoyed the times they went fishing and camping as a family. In the early years of their family they had an old station wagon and would put a mattress in it and if the weather was good they would sleep outside on the mattress and if it was bad they would sleep in the car.
During the summer months Reed and his family loved to spend days and weeks camping at campgrounds. I remember we spent many summers at Buffalo campground. Around 1968 Reed & Lola bought some property at Henry's Lake and put a trailer on it. Lola's sister Gen and her husband Byron also bought property across from them. Since they loved to camp together and had done this for many years. Reed had a talent for building and working with his hands. He put his building skills to work and built a nice lean to over the trailer. He remembers all the work that went into getting the logs - Reed, Lola, Gen, Byron, Star, Venus and Shelley went in to the woods and cut down the trees and peeled all the logs which we used to build the lean to on both properties and also for a fence which Reed built around his property. But he did not stop there. He built a nice shed to keep his tools in, fishing gear and bikes. He built a play house on stilts for the kids with built in benches inside to sit on. All the kids loved this playhouse. He built a sandbox and swing for the kids. He built an outside fireplace for roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. He built benches and an outside adult sized swinging bench. Eventually he built a fully enclosed cabin around the trailer with an upstairs and two balconies. He liked sitting on the balcony where he had a full view of the lake and the mountains. Many times he would see deer, elk, moose and different kinds of birds which he would observe through his binoculars.
After Reed retired from the railroad, Reed and Lola began to spend their winters in Overton Nevada. They enjoyed going to dances and dancing together. They enjoyed family coming to visit them there. When we did Reed would have our site seeing all planned for us. We went to the Valley of Fire, Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas and other fun sites. They had many good times there.
Reed and Lola had 50 wonderful years together. Reed lost the love of his life on December 6, 1994 when Lola died of cancer.
Sometime after Lola's death Reed met Carolyn Armstrong at the Senior Citizen's Center and fell in love with her singing voice. They were later married. Reed and Carolyn served a LDS mission together in the Nashville Tenn. Mission. Reed really enjoyed this mission. Not long after returning from their mission Carolyn was diagnosed with cancer and died. Reed then met Joyce Hathaway while wintering in St. George. They enjoyed spending time together and were soon married. Reed then made St. George his permanent home since that was where Joyce lived and he loved the warm weather.
Reed loved to travel and take in the history. He was very well acquainted with the scriptures and could quote passages perfectly. When he read he did not read fiction he liked to read books that increased his knowledge.
Now I will share a few memories Reed had and others had of him.
Reed vividly remembers a time when Cary was about 3 or 4 years old and they were living in the Pocatello Addition called the Lambing Sheds. It was by the storage yard of the railroad. It had a six foot high solid wood fence all the way around it. One day Reed was busy working there sorting rail road spikes, joint bars, and other stuff when he was startled as he looked up just in time to see Cary coming over the top of that fence. The fence had knot holes here and there and he had managed to find hand and foot holes in those knot holes and climb that fence. Lola also came running through the gate after Cary because she had spotted him as he was going over the top. That was an experience he never forgot.
Reed recalls a fun memory about a time he went fishing with Cary and Gene. Cary and Reed had fished for quite some time in the same areas and was having no luck, but Gene took off by himself. They went looking for Gene and when they found him he had 19 fish to their none. Reed thought that was great and said how Gene had always liked to fish and was still a good fisherman to this day.
Reed remembers Venus and him liked go for rides and explore different areas and roads. They would also play tennis together.
Reed remembers the time Star sneaked out of her bedroom window and how the next day it was boarded up. She didn't do that again!
Cheyann's favorite memories of her grandpa.
1- When we would sit at the dinner table and reach across without asking for the food to be passed, he would smack my hand with whatever utensil he had, give me a stern look and tell me to ask politely with as stern of an expression he could muster while hiding a smile. 2-I loved to make stilts and looked forward to it every year. 3-Walking the loop around the cabin and going to the lake to throw rocks. 4-Making whistles out of willows. 5- He would click his dentures at us and he thought it was really funny. But, my most loved and favorite memory was going fishing down coffee pot. I love you grandpa and will see you on the river.
Caleb's memories of grandpa.
I remember getting to the mission office in Nashville and having grandpa and Grandma Carolyn waiting for me. To this day I cannot tell you who had the bigger smile me or grandpa. While on the mission I proselyted with grandpa twice went out to eat with him 3 times and gave a blessing of healing to a sick individual who was healed by the next day. It was one of my greatest blessings to have him so close and be able to call and talk to me while serving the father we both loved.
One other memory I have is being at the cabin and grandpa decided to teach meb how to play marbles because I was asking so many questions about them. He only had one large taw marble so he gave it to me and he took a regular marble. Well I could of had 10 taw marbles and still lost to grandpa he beat me so bad. After we were done grandpa said that would be the last time he figured he would ever play with those marbles so he asked if we would divide them into groups of tens and placed them into bags and he said he was going to give them to all his grandsons.
I have always treasured the times grandpa would verbally express his love to me. Even though Grandpa did not verbally tell me he loved me all that often, grandpa always showed me that he did every time I was with him.
How I will miss grandpa and his ability to make such mundane things so special. I love you grandpa.
Jordan's memories of grandpa
I remember going on walks at Grandpa's cabin in Island Park and walking around Henry's Lake. He would always point out all the animals and we would push over the dead trees. We would make sure we all had walking sticks.
Jake's memories of grandpa
I remember going to visit grandpa in St George a couple of months ago and talking to him about things that we have done with him. One of the stories that we told him was about going to the cabin. We told him about how we used to go break into some of the other cabins with Sheri and taking their candy. Grandpa could not stop laughing. I always loved Grandpa's smile and laugh.
Some other memories that I love about grandpa are going to McDonalds, JJ North's, or Chuck A Ram. Going to Yellowstone and looking at all the animals while riding in the back of his truck. On the way home we would always stop at the dollar store and grandpa would buy us a toy.
I would like to share a few of my own personal memories of my Uncle Reed. My Uncle Reed was a fun loving man. I remember the many family trips we took together. We went through the Columbia Gorge and down the Oregon and California Coast. We went to Disneyland, Sea World, Universal Studios, Wild Animal Kingdom. We went to Nevada, Arizona and to the Grand Canyon. We went fishing and camping all the time. We spent holidays together. He was generous in sharing what he had. He would invite our Grandpa and Grandma Mangum to come with us traveling. I remember he would hold our hands and we would skip and sing along the trails, when we were camping he would always give his enthusiastic morning yell which let us all know it was time to rise and shine. Clear up through this year he always sent my family a Christmas and Valentine card that he always included a little money so that we could take the kids out for a treat on him. My Uncle Reed was a big part of my growing up years. I will always be grateful for the example and the great influence of good he was in my life. Shelly Turnbow
On Oct 24, 2011 Reed's Brother Clair who lived in Seattle died in the morning hours around 9:30 am. Later that same day at 6:20 pm Reed left this world and went to join not only his brother but all of his loved ones who were waiting to welcome him on the other side.
Biography of Lola Mangum Baird
When Lola Baird walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Lola was and how she impacted those around her. Lola was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Lola wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. This rang true with her children and grandchildren. Lola was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life. She was the daughter of Clarence and Myrtle Mangum. Lola was raised in Woodville, Idaho. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Lola might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Lola was always in pursuit of life's endless possibilities and opportunities available to her. Lola was raised with four siblings. Lola had one older sister Myrtle, Lola was the second oldest child then the third child was Genevieve, the fourth child Joy Clarene and the fifth child was Terry G. Lola was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Lola was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Lola well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her. As a young girl, Lola was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Lola was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. In her spare time she liked to play with paper dolls, have tea with her Grandma Anderson, she loved animals and swimming. Lola once received a Blue Ribbon for running. Lola had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover. During her high school years, Lola responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She attended and eventually graduated from Firth High School. Lola was married as a sophomore and went back to finish school while Lewis was at War. Lola was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. For Lola, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Lola a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Lola's favorite classes in High School were English and Spelling. With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Lola was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Lola was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Margie and Bunny. Later in life, she became friends with Pat Krinner, Pat Smith and her sister Gen was her Best Friend. On May 27, 1944, Lewis and Lola were married. They were later sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple on January 23, 1965. Lola married Lewis Reed Baird at Local Church of Shelley, Idaho. Lola's skill at "building bridges" played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Lewis's needs, showing him constant concern and fondness. Lola was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family. Lola was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Lola, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Baird home. Lola's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Lola was blessed with Four Children: Two sons, oldest Cary Reed, and second child, a son, Gene Conan and two daughters, third child Staralee and fourth child Venus Gay. They were also blessed with 18 grandchildren, Jaryde, Kayde, Kyndra, Joshua, Aaron, Jason "scott", Heather, Kevin, Greg, Benjamin "Chase", Cheyann, Caleb, Tara, Valeigha, Jacob "Spencer", Jake, Jordon and Jeffery "Skyler". Lola was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life's possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Lola loved to be a homemaker in which she was able to do her entire married life. As a child she worked on her family farm as her dad's "right hand man" and while Lewis was at war she worked as a waitress. Lola was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Lola had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Lola's children saw her as a supporter and a mentor. Because Lola loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Lola's hobbies include sewing, decorating her house for every season, making crafts, canning food and she loved playing card games especially bridge and pinnacle with her friends. Lola had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Lola's ever-present concern for others always took precedent. Lola derived much satisfaction in her spare time participating in competitive bowling and swimming. Lola was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her children's and grandchildren's sporting events or activities. It was rare and far between that you would look out and not see her there to cheer you on at any event. Lola absolutely LOVED to watch the Olympics. Lola was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints all her life. During that time, she was a scout leader, teacher, and a visiting teacher. She was also on committees in the scouting program. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs. Lola was a lover of animals and cherished her many dogs. Her favorite dog was Suzy, minature grey. While at the cabin she would love to sit out on the porch and watch the birds or any other wildlife that would come and drink from the lake. Retirement involved summers in Island Park and Pocatello, Idaho and winters in Overton, Nevada. In retirement, she found pleasure in teaching water aerobics, spending time with her family and grandchildren, painting, making ceramics, serving others and spending time at the cabin in Island Park. Even in retirement, Lola continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones. Lola Baird passed away on December 6, 1994 at her home in Pocatello, Idaho. She had fought a brave battle against Lung Cancer. She is survived by her mother, sisters Gen and Joy and her brother Terry, her husband Lewis, her four children and 18 grandchildren. Services were held at the Pocatello West Stakes Red Brick Building in Pocatello, Idaho. Lola was laid to rest in the Restlawn Memorial Gardens in Pocatello, Idaho. There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Lola. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Lola Baird for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Lola was always more than willing to share life's experiences with her loved ones. We will all miss and do miss her dearly!Biography of Lewis Reed Baird