Elmer Y "Bud" Baird
Tombstone Photo
 Lawnview Cemetery
Cordell, Washita County, OK

© Rita Collvins Mayfield

Elmer Baird

Published courtesy of the Cordell Beacon

© Cordell Beacon

Elmer Baird was born November 18, 1908 in Texas to Allene Beall Baird and Albert Washington Baird.

Elmer was nicknamed “Bud” after his mother's brother. He grew up in Frost, TX which is about 50 miles southwest of Dallas. His father was a blacksmith.

"Bud" had polio when he was young, which caused him to limp his entire life, even though he had a series of operations on his leg, both hips, and both knees. Yet he was a livewire. He once cleared part of an acreage to make a tennis court, and beat any challenger.

Archie tells of the time that Frost played their rival in football, the Corsicana State Orphans School. It seems that Archie caught the ball and ran 80 yards for a touchdown. As Archie put it, "The whole way, huffing and puffing behind me, and limping as he went, Bud kept saying, `Keep going, Arch! All the way!"

After high school, Bud and his family came to Cordell to visit his aunt and was kicked by a mule. He remained in Cordell to work as operator of the film machine in the local theatre to pay his $17.00 doctor bill. Then he moved back to Frost and helped build the river bridge north of Waco.

In later years, he moved to Carlsbad and worked in a mine. It was there that he found he enjoyed running movie theatres, and eventually moved to San Clemente, California to become a partner in the theatre business. He advertised his movies by driving around on his little red scooter.

After the death of his mother in 1965 and his dad in 1968, our "Buddy", came to live in Cordell.

Buddy was loved very much. He was a staple around the Methodist Church and was quick to tinker with anything broken. He had his own drawer in the church kitchen to keep his tools in and his favorite stool was always reserved for him there.

He would go first thing in the morning to the First National Bank and make their coffee for them, then proceed to the Methodist Church and start a coffee pot there. When he was able, he would come back to the church after Kiwanis and clean the tables. Bud knew from bible teachings that “the worker is worthy of his hire,” and looked forward to the treats the ladies of the church would fix him. His next stop would be King-Lindsey for his much loved afternoon soda pop.

He taught Sunday School for many years and sang in the choir, putting to good use the teaching he and Archie got at the V.O. Stamps Singing School.

Buddy enjoyed the harmonica and had an old one he liked to play. O.H. Williams thought Buddy needed a new one and bought him one. Which tickled Buddy, but he still like to play his old one! Eleanor was loyal to take him meals each week and had to bribe him to take off his Atlanta Braves cap that Roy and Judy Lindsey bought him so that she could wash it.

In later years, Buddy still like to tinker. He wired a light over his bed in his home. Ask Archie or Geraldine how he rigged his air conditioner! It worked!

Living in the nursing home and confined to his wheelchair, Buddy never had a discouraging word about anyone. He knew so many people, and so many people would stop and say "hi".

Today, we've come to say "goodbye" and to honor him for bringing so much joy to our lives.

Bud is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Campbell. He is survived by two brothers: Archie Baird and his wife, Geraldine of Cordell and Albert Baird and his wife Ruth of Las Cruces, NM; one sister-in-law, Marie Baird of the Cordell Christian Home; one niece, Guynell Baird of Cordell; four nephews, Ed Baird and his wife Frances of Cordell, J.C. Baird and wife Judy of Oklahoma City, Al Baird and his wife Gloria of California and Charles Baird of Beaumont, TX. And numerous friends, relatives and brothers and sisters in Christ.

This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent.
All rights reserved! Commercial use of material within this site is prohibited!
© 2000-2024 Oklahoma Cemeteries

The information on this site is provided free for the purpose of researching your genealogy. This material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, for your own research, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The information contained in this site may not be copied to any other site without written "snail-mail" permission. If you wish to have a copy of a donor's material, you must have their permission. All information found on these pages is under copyright of Oklahoma Cemeteries. This is to protect any and all information donated. The original submitter or source of the information will retain their copyright. Unless otherwise stated, any donated material is given to Oklahoma Cemeteries to make it available online. This material will always be available at no cost, it will always remain free to the researcher.