Elaine Baker Sanders -- Cafeteria Manager

 

Elaine Baker Sanders

Eris Elaine Baker was born on March 8, 1923 in Cadiz, Kentucky.  She was the oldest of four children of Samuel Lee Baker and Vera Evelyn Cunningham Baker. Sam and Evelyn were Trigg County natives of the Rockcastle community who had moved to Cadiz where Sam was a clerk for the F. B. Wilkerson Co. department store for 40 years.   Elaine’s siblings were James Minos “Jimmie” Baker, born in 1925 and married Lyla Morrison; Cora Mae Baker, born in 1927 and married George Atkinson and Mary Ann Baker, born in 1929, and married Thomas Julius Carr.

Elaine attended schools in Trigg County and graduated from Trigg County High School in 1941. On December 14, 1940, Elaine married Eura Elvis “Mutt” Sanders in Crofton, Kentucky.  Mutt was born in Trigg County on March 23, 1920, the son of Clarence Murl Sanders and Annie Ruth Morris Sanders. Murl was a farmer in the Wallonia community of Trigg County.  Elaine and Mutt became the parents of two children, Jack Elvis Sanders, born in 1941 and married Carla Lea Roach, his first wife and Jackie Mays Beasley, his second wife; and Joyce Annette Sanders, born in 1945 and married Danny Green Bozarth.

Mutt lived his entire life in Trigg County except for the time spent serving his country in World War II.  He served with the 491st Armored Field Artillery Division of the U.S. Army from June 1942 to November 1945, with fifteen months of that time in the European Theatre.  He was in the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, Mutt began working as a rural letter carrier with the U.S. Post Office in Cadiz in 1945.  He retired from that position in 1977. Elaine spent her early married years raising her two children and in the mid 1950s, began working for the Trigg County School system as a cafeteria manager.  She was active in federal, state and district lunchroom associations while serving as cafeteria manager.  She was a familiar face to many local students who dined daily over the years in the school cafeteria.  Elaine retired as cafeteria manager in 1978 after working for 21 years for the school system.

After her retirement, Elaine became very active in local community and church activities.  She was a member of the Trigg County Homemakers, the Trigg County Hospital Auxiliary Club as well as the Trigg County Business and Professional Women’s Club. She served as an officer in all these organizations. In October 1980 she was named as the B&PW Woman of the Year which is the highest honor given to a local club member, which is a tradition of the organization to honor outstanding women in the community.  Elaine was also active in the fundraising for the County Heart Fund.

Mutt and Elaine lived on a farm in the Wallonia community where Mutt was born.  They purchased the farm in 1955.  The farm had been in the Sanders family since 1908 when it was purchased by Louis Sanders, the grandfather of Mutt. They raised crops on the farm as well as maintaining a herd of cattle.

Mutt died on May 16, 2000 in Nashville at the age of 80.  He was buried in the Wall Cemetery in the Wallonia Community of Trigg County.  Elaine died on May 15, 2014 in Cadiz at the age of 91.  She was buried in the Wall Cemetery next to her husband.

Elaine Sanders

Elaine and Mutt

Mutt, Elaine and son, Jack, circa 1944

Elaine and Mutt's tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Eris Elaine Baker was the daughter of Samuel Lee and Vera Evelyn Cunningham Baker and the granddaughter of Mark Smith and Mattie Mae Ricks Baker.  Mark Smith was the second child of Samuel Freeman and Sarah Adeline Thomas Baker.  Sarah was the first child of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas.  Stanley was second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)