G. Carson Baker's Cunningham Catalog — The Baker Family
Margaret BakerBorn: August 25, 1907
Married: August 19, 1931, Eugene Hacker Pollock (1905)
Children: Dorothy Ann (1935), Margaret Susan (1938), Richard Baker (1945), Katherine Jean (1948) Died: January 27, 1993Margaret was born to Bertha and Carson Baker in Rochester, N.Y. on August 25, 1907, and grew up on Woodbine Ave. She had a younger sister, Dorothy, born in 1911. With her long hair in either curls or braids and often with a large bow tucked in it, a sweet smile on her face and an endearing pose, she photographed well. Her grandfather, Charles Baker, was a strong influence in her Christian life. When she was sick (she often had bronchial problems), she would ask for him to be called to pray for her. She thought he had a "hotline" to God.
The Bible her parents gave her as a young woman had the handwriting of either her father or mother and said, "To Margaret E. Baker, March 31, 1929 To take up our life as it is, and to do the best we can to make it great and good-our best to make it fit to give back one day to the God who gave it; that is to live."* Signed, "Mother and Father." With that theology, Margaret lived her life.
Margaret's family members, and nearly everyone she met, were the recipients of her many giving ways. She thanked God daily for her many blessings and gifts of love from Him. Her optimism always brought hope — she could find the patch of blue on the rainiest of days. Her struggles included her own health, her husband's health and early death, a lack of finances, single parenting, and getting all three daughters through college educations. Even with all this, she still had time for others. Margaret said it was not what happened to you in life that mattered, but rather, what you did with what happened.
She was never one to feel sorry for herself and near the end of her life, she was heard to say, "I have no regrets about anything." A card that was meaningful to her she kept. "One day at a time, this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone. And do not be troubled about the future for it has not yet come. Live in the present. And make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering." (She underlined what was important to her.)
Margaret attended Albany State Teachers College, and it was there she met Eugene Hacker Pollock, who was originally from Buffalo. She would "hitch" rides with him back and forth to Rochester for "practical" reasons, and as she confided in her granddaughter, because, "It was a good way for him to get to know me better." In 1931 Margaret and Gene were married in her parent's home on Woodbine Ave. They rented a home (coincidentally) on Margaret St. in Rochester, N.Y., and their first child Dorothy was born in 1935. When their second daughter Susan was approximately six months old, they bought the Woodbine Ave. home.
In 1943, when Margaret was 36, her husband had a major heart attack. Two years later she gave birth to a son Ricky, born with spina bifida and who died approximately two weeks later. At age 41 in 1948, she gave birth to her third daughter, Katherine, and soon after she made room in her home for her newly-widowed mother-in-law Anna, all while still raising the other two daughters and keeping a watchful eye on her husband's health.
In 1950, Margaret's father Carson died and she made more room in her home for her mother Bertha, along with still caring for her three children, her mother-in-law, and still concern for her husband. In 1955, only days from her 48th birthday, her husband died unexpectedly. Katie was just 7, Susan was 17 and about to go to college, Dorothy was 20 and in college, Margaret's mother was still living with her, and her mother-in-law was now in a nursing home. She was left with overwhelming responsibilities, and yet knowing how to live each day in faith carried her through. She wrote in her Bible, "God is for me, God is with me, God is in me. The Bible says it, I believe it, and that ends it."
Margaret learned to drive, bought a car, and went to work to provide for her family. Her career was varied but always centered around bookkeeping and finances. She started out typing doctoral theses, assisting with financial reports and records, and bookkeeping for places such as University of Rochester Chemistry Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the American Chemical Society. For a brief time she was secretary at School No. 49 in Rochester.
From 1956-1972 she was executive secretary and company cashier for the secretary and treasurer of Gleason Works in Rochester. There, she was responsible for various money funds for the cafeteria, plus those for the men that traveled, did the executive payroll, disability benefits, and the travel expense reports. During the time that Margaret worked for Gleason, the Cunningham Company was sold to Gleason and operated as subsidiary.
After retiring from Gleason at age 62, Margaret worked from 1972-1974 for First Federal Bank's main office in the loan servicing department and the investment department. From 1979-1990 she was bookkeeper and treasurer for her church credit union and in charge of the counters for the Sunday offerings.
Margaret's love of her family (her own, her parent's side, and her husband's side) was obvious to all who knew her. In her later years she lived with and became a companion and caregiver to her husband's aunt, Mary Hacker Graef. In an interesting coincidence, Mary and Margaret lived in an apartment at 1000 East Ave., built on the former site of the mansion once owned by the Cunningham family.
Aunt Mary could not drive herself, but loved to travel, and provided the means for the two of them to be able to travel to Massachusetts, South Carolina, Florida, California, Oregon, Hawaii, and for Margaret to go to London with a friend. Margaret loved travelling, whether it was driving or flying. After her trips she would talk not just about the places themselves, but about the flowers, oceans, trees, clouds, night skies and day skies, each made up of such unique details that she considered them of awesome importance.
Margaret always owned big, heavy cars for their power and their safety - and put a lot of miles on them. One was a blue Ford LTD, the same vehicle used by N.Y. State Police at that time. On the highway, many drivers mistook her for an unmarked police car, and slowed down so she could pass, which she did not mind one bit. Margaret was always supportive of her grandchildren learning to drive, and made it a point to take each of the two oldest on road trips with her. She put them behind the wheel at age 16 so they could "get highway experience" under her watchful eye.
Margaret's last few years were spent living at the Rochester Presbyterian Home and St. John's Nursing Home. Both moves were her decisions, and as she had through all her life, she made the most of each day even when she became physically limited in what she could do. On May 20, 1992, she wrote on a card in her Bible, "I have promised God to put this problem of a nursing home in His hands. I trust in him completely to take care of me as he always has. . ." M.P. "Though she was often frail, she was like a rock to hang on to when the earth was shaking," said her daughter Dorothy. Phone conversations or a good-bye at the door often ended with Margaret saying, "I'll be here."
Margaret died at St. John's in 1993 at age 85, and as one of her last generous living acts, instructed that her body be donated to the University of Rochester Medical Center for research. After her final year of service she was buried with her husband, parents and son-in-law, in White Haven Memorial Cemetery.
* George and Bertha selected the wonderful quote for Margaret's Bible from the writings of late-19th century English journalist and fiction writer, Mrs. Bertha Leith Adams.
