Baker Frances Hamm

Frances Hamm "Sister" Baker, 101, of Barboursville, died on Sunday, February 17, 2019, while under Hospice care at Charlottesville Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was born on January 31, 1918, in the Hamm family home in Barboursville, Virginia, the daughter of Bertha Maude Hamm and Marcel Dabney Douglas. She was a life-long member and long time treasurer of the Barboursville Baptist Church. Frances was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Allen John Baker; her sister, Evelyn Graves Douglas; her brother-in-law, Phillip Aubert Ponton Sr.; and her nephew, Charles Marcel Ponton. Frances met Allen in Washington, D.C., in 1944, after they were married, they travelled the U.S. while Allen was a master sergeant in the U.S. Army. In 1946, they returned to the Hamm family farm in Barboursville, where for the remainder of her life, Frances became the second mother to her sister's four children: Charles Marcel Ponton, Frances Ann Lapan, Phillip Aubert Ponton Jr. and James Douglas Ponton. An extraordinary seamstress, "Sister" produced beautiful hand arts for her family, including quilts, decorations, crocheted blankets and clothing. As the surviving ancestor who knew "Rural Retreat" farm before the advent of electricity, indoor plumbing and automobiles, she was able to provide a wealth of oral history of "the old timey days", including the day of her birth in a January snow storm, when the doctor arrived in horse and buggy and had to spend the night. She was also known and loved for making family favorite comfort foods and holiday treats, which everyone looked forward to on typical Sundays and special occasions alike. Frances is survived by her nieces and nephews, Frances Ann Lapan and partner, Robert Nicholls, Phillip Ponton and wife, Barbara Wallace, Douglas Ponton and wife, Elaine Fogliani, and Judith Ponton; her grand-nieces and nephews, Lori Landes-Carter and husband, Charles Carter, Joseph Lapan, Jennifer Lapan, Jessica Ponton and husband, Lemuel Hancock; and her great-grand nieces and nephew, Leighton Carter, Marian Kathryn Hancock, and Patricia Evelyn Hancock. A graveside service was held at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 22, 2019, at Graham Cemetery in Orange. The family received friends from 6 until 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 21, 2019, at Preddy Funeral Home in Gordonsville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Barboursville Baptist Church, P.O. Box 87 Barboursville, VA 22923.