| Notes |
- from "Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1950" (ancestry.com)
Mayry Botwood Baker, single, clerk at Foster Stevens Co, born MI to George P Baker b. CT & Celestia Hibbard b. CT died on 9 Jul 1920 at Grand Rapids MI of injuries from a motor vehicle accident. Burial on 12 Jul in Hastings MI. Informant Mrs. L.E. Knappen of Grand Rapids.
- from "The Grand Rapids Press", 10 Jul 1920 (genealogybank.com)
An inquest has been ordered into the death of Miss Mayry Baker, who died Friday evening as a result of injuries received when the automobile in which she was riding collided with another machine at Lagrave-av. and Island-st.. Announcement of the inquest was made Saturday by Coroner Simeon Le Roy. The jury was to be impaneled during the day and the inquest probably will be held next Tuesday or Wednesday to determine whether there was criminal negligence. The tragedy occurred when a touring car driven by Norman E, Wilding of the Welding Film Manufacturing Co., in which Miss Baker and four other women were riding, collided with a bus driven by Clarence E Pratt, 122 Davidson-av., S., a garage man, who was making trips to and from the Sells-Floto circus grounds. Pratt had left the Golden Motor Sales Co. garage, 49- 59 Lagrave-av less than a 100 feet south of the crossing, a moment before the crash which caused the Wilding machine to capsize. Pratt was driving north on the extreme right of Lagrave-av when he collided with Wilding’s machine which was approaching from the east on Island-st. The bus struck the touring car near the driver's seat and the running board of the latter car scraped over the top of the projecting springs on the front of Pratt’s machine. Wilding’s automobile listed sharply, throwing Miss Baker to the pavement. She was caught beneath the car when it turned over, her chest being crushed. Three women who were riding in the tonnean of the machine and another, who was riding with the driver and Miss Baker in the front seat, escaped injury. They are Mrs. Carrie Wilding, 243 MOrris-av., mother of Mr. Wilding. Mrs. Graen C. Whittlesey, 126 Madision-av.; Miss Lous L. Bimes, 317 Washington-st.., and Mris Louis Conrad of Chicago.
Fireman from engine house No. 1 righted the machine and aided in removing Miss Baker. She was carried to the engine house and the police ambulance took her to St Mary's hospital, where she died soon after 8 o’clock. Pratt said he was running in second speed when he neared the corner. He attempted to place the car into high when his mechanism did not work properly. ”I looked ahead, and all was clear,” he said, ”I glanced down as the gear-shift stuck and in a dash the Wilding car appeared ahead. I don’t see how the impact of the collision could have turned over the car.” According to spectators neither of the cars was moving at a very fast rate of speed. Pratt denied white lettering on the windshield of his machine obscured his vision. ”The Pratt car, instead of slowing down, showed a burst of speed,” said Mr. Wilding, ”I saw the car coming but as I had the right-of-way and was in no apparent danger, I stepped on the accelerator a little just as anyone else would do. Had he been noticing where he was driving he easily could have avoided hitting my machine, for I had nearly passed the corner.”
Miss Baker for the past several years has been employed as buyer for the china department of Foster Stevens & Co. She was born at Wyandotte 41 years ago,. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George P Baker, are dead and the only relatives, Mrs. Loyal E. Knappen of this city, a cousin, and two brothers George Baker of New York and Lewis Baker of Kansas City were notified. The body was removed to the Berton Spring chapel pending word from the brothers. Miss Baker was making her home at the residence of Carl S. Judson, 248 Morris-av. She was among the first of Grand Rapids women to enroll in the Y.M.C.A. overseas organization and sailed for France in August, 1918, returning to this country 18 months later.
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1879 - 1920 (40 years)
