WILLIAM ALVAN BAIRD (MAY 23, 1861-OCTOBER 24, 1929)

WILLIAM ALVAN BAIRD, SON OF ABSALOM AND ISABELLE BAIRD, WAS BORN MAY 23, 1861 NEAR REDDING, IOWA; DIED OCTOBER 24, 1929, AT HIS HOME IN PONCA CITY, OK., AGE 68 YEARS FIVE MONTHS AND ONE DAY.

HE WAS THE ELDEST OF TWELVE CHILDREN AND CAME FROM ONE OF THE PIONEER FAMILIES OF SOUTHERN IOWA. HE WAS REARED ON A FARM AND RECEIVED HIS EDUCATION IN THE COMMON SCHOOLS AND AT PARSONS COLLEGE, FAIRFIELD, IOWA. HE ALSO COMPLETED A BUSINESS COURSE AT DES MOINES, IOWA BUSINESS COLLEGE. HE WAS MARRIED NOVEMBER 26TH, 1902, TO LORETTA HARRISON AT GRANT CITY, MISSIOURI.

FOR SEVERAL YEARS HE WAS ENGAGED IN THE BANKING BUSINESS AT REDDING, IOWA.

SURVIVING MR. BAIRD ARE HIS WIDOW, LORETTA BAIRD, A SON, HOWARD A. OF OKLAHOMA CITY AND A DAUGHTER, LOUISE BAIRD AT HOME. THREE SISTERS, MRS. J.C. DENHART OF DIAGONAL, IOWA; MRS. O. G. SPENCER, MOUNT AYR, IOWA; MRS. C. L. MALOY OF REDDING, IOWA; THREE BROTHERS, J.C. BAIRD OF CHICAGO, IL; A.R. BAIRD OF REDDING, IOWA; AND D. D. BAIRD, MEMPHIS, TN.

IT IS DOUBTFUL IF PONCA CITY EVER HAD A CITIZEN WHO POSSESSED IN A MORE ABUNDANT WAY ALL THE PRINCIPALS OF REAL MANHOOD THAN MR. BAIRD. IN THAT TRINITY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS THAT REPRESENTS MAN’S MOST POTENTIAL STRENGTH, THE HOME, THE CHURCH AND THE COMMUNITY, HE GAVE CONSTANT AND INSPIRING DEVOTION AND EXEMPLIFIED IN ALL OF THESE THAT FINE SPIRIT OF PLACING SERVICE ABOVE SELF. AS HUSBAND, FATHER AND CITIZEN HE MET EVERY OBLIGATION WITH RARE UNSELFISHNESS AND WILL BE GREATLY MISSED IN EVERY CIRCLE TO WHICH HE GAVE HIS TALENTS AND LOYALTY.

MR. BAIRD SERVED AS DEPUTY AUDITOR OF  RINGGOLD COUNTY IN THE EARLY NINETIES AND WAS WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.