I was lucky enough to meet the sweet hardworking Baker family through Permies.com. The family moved to my little state and Katie Baker has brought her six kids to my little farm and helped us with building a hugelkultur project and apple cider pressing. She homeschools the children and has planted the beginnings of a forest garden. They are frugal and live a simple life, which shows in the generous, helpful and industrious nature of their children.
Matthew has spent many years in school studying to be ordained in the Greek Orthodox church. His scholarship has been well respected and he has gained an excellent reputation and helped many people already. His family has sacrificed and gone without for years, last year he was ordained and finally this year he was given a position at a church of his own and the family settled into their new home.
It is with a heavy heart that I report that this past Sunday the weather was snowy and the roads were slippery. Matthew Baker was driving home with the six kids in the car and lost control of the vehicle. He was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The children were brought to the hospital with minor injuries and are all ok.
Katie has a long hard road ahead. I am so glad that they have done such an excellent job raising the children, who are ages twelve down to two. I can see that Isaac, the oldest, will be mature and "the man of the house" well, even though he is still quite young. A crowdfunding effort has been set up
here and I hope you will consider helping. Two million dollars would not be too much when considering a college fund for six kids in today's world, never mind all that they will need until then.
I encourage you to read
this article about Father Matthew and also
this one.
And I also encourage you to hold your loved ones close. Life is brief and surprising.