KATHLEEN MOXLEY BAKER, aka "Grandma Baker" age 99 years of Harford County, died on Friday, December 11, 2009 at the home of her caregiver, Miriam Beck Dimitriadis in Bel Air, Maryland. She was the wife of the late Archie Dean Baker with whom she shared sixty-three years of marriage before his death in 1992.

Born on September 1, 1910 in Roanoke, Virginia, she was one of seven children born to the late Robert Smith and Sarah (Brewster) Moxley. She was a descendent of Captain John Brewster who served on the Mayflower.

During her childhood, she traveled to many revivals with her family where her father was a traveling evangelist and each member of the family played a musical instrument and/or sang. Kathleen was a finalist in the " Miss West Virginia Pageant."

She met her husband, Arch in the summer of 1929 when her family traveled from their current home in West Virginia to Maryland to visit with family for the summer. Her late husband was employed as a field hand at the Taylor Farm in Jarrettsville and saw her standing on the running board of the car as the family arrived. He remarked upon seeing her, that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and would marry her one day. A month later, they eloped on July 15th and were united in marriage at the Manse of Highland Presbyterian Church in Street, Maryland.

At the beginning of her marriage, they lived in Overlea, Maryland before moving to dairy farm in the Street area of Harford County in 1947. In 1950, the family moved to a smaller farm on the Mason-Dixon Line outside of Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania in Pylesville, Maryland. Grandma Baker worked as a seamstress for eighteen years at the former Fawn Grove Sewing Factory, retiring in 1959.

For many years, she and her late husband were Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus for the Town of Bel Air as well as for numerous holiday gatherings.

She was one of the original members of North Harford Baptist Church and attended when the original building was on North Bend Road in 1955. She was very active in the church where she taught the Primary Age Class in Sunday School, sang in the choir, made baptismal robes, helped with Vacation Bible School, took part in church plays, prepared luncheons and was active in the women's groups. At the time of her death, she was the oldest member of the church.

Grandma Baker was nominated for Most Beautiful Person in Harford County in 1994. She sold decorated cakes and crocheted beautiful things for which she won numerous awards. Family and faith in God were the staples of her life. She was an outstanding cook and baker and known to give "Grandma Baker Hot Milk" cakes to everyone.

She is survived by:

Four daughters-

Margaret Lou "Peg" Barlow and her husband, Robert

and Ella Mae Thomas, and her husband, Raymond, all of Pylesville, Maryland

Geraldean "Gerry" Hubble, and her husband Harold of Bel Air, Maryland

Donna Lynn Singler, and her husband, Joseph of Glendale, Arizona

Eleven grandchildren-

Michael Robert Barlow of Pylesville, Maryland

David Wayne Thomas of White Hall, Maryland

Gary William Barlow of Whiteford, Maryland

Patricia Carol Thomas Hushon of Red Lion, Pennsylvania

Philip Scott Barlow of Stewartstown, Pennsylvania

Karen Dean Hubble Cage of Bel Air, Maryland

Tommy Dean Linkous of Australia

Alana Lee Hubble McDonald of Port Deposit, Maryland

Dennis Terry Linkous of Burke, Virginia

Todd Aaron Linkous of Phoenix, Arizona

Dale Eugene Linkous of South Lake Tahoe, California

Twenty-one great grandchildren

Seven great-great grandchildren

She was preceded in death by her siblings.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 from 6 to 8 p.m. at North Harford Baptist Church, 4008 Old Federal Hill Road, Jarrettsville, MD 21084.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, the 16th at 11 a.m. at the church with a luncheon immediately following the service in the church social hall.

Her pastor, Reverend John W. Manry along with her son-in-law, Reverend Harold Hubble and nephew, Reverend Ernest Pennington will co-officiate.

Interment will be in Bel Air Memorial Gardens, Bel Air, Maryland.

Memorial contributions may be made to the church at the above address.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons-David W. Thomas, Gary W. Barlow, Philip S. Barlow, Dennis T. Linkous, Todd A. Linkous and Dale E. Linkous.

Honorary bearers will be Robert Barlow, Raymond Thomas, Michael R. Barlow, Tommy D. Linkous and Matthew Gullion.