Mary Geraldine Moore Baier
6/13/1916 - 5/1/2010
After a series of hospital stays, surgery and failing health, Matt’s grandmother, “Jerry” Moore Baier passed away Saturday one month shy of her 94th Birthday.
Matt and I went to Birmingham for her memorial service at Kirkwood and then onto Meridian for her graveside. While it was certainly a sad reason, it was the first time that Matt had been with so many of his family members in a long time.
We were so fortunate we were able to celebrate this past Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving with Jerry as well as several 
other small visits we had while in Birmingham. Even in recent times when her health and memory were failing her, Jerry would always have a compliment for our family. I can still hear her saying things like “well, I think you are smart for…” and “that is the cutest/smartest baby I have ever seen”. And even in the most recent of times when she wasn’t quite sure of the conversation around her, she would just catch your eye and an open her mouth wide for a smile.
Jerry was always dressed to the nines, had a suit for every occassion, wore her late husbands war pins and had an interesting story to tell.
Once, when she briefly lived in an apartment in Southaven MS close to Aunt Katherine, Matt & I stopped to visit her on our way back from an Ole Miss game. We had friends with us and a long trip back so 
we didn’t stay too long but she took us throughout that apartment, filled with treasures from her travels, and would point out things with her cane. One particular painting she stopped out, with her cane shaking at the picture, and told us its story and then its value, which was considerable. Then she said, “why do I tell you these things? Because its interesting to know…don’t you think?” We laughed and laughed about that all the way home. And it still makes me chuckle recalling how she said that.
The first time Matt introduced me to his parents, Jerry was visiting from Meridian so I had dinner with her that fateful night as well. Later, Matt told me that she had approved of me and told him that she thought I had nice teeth! That still makes me laugh today.
I was honored that Helen Claire gave me Jerry’s ring that she wore daily, a beautiful gold and platinum ring with pave diamonds. I will always remember Jerry, her zest for life and her love of the beautiful and unique when I look at it.
I always knew that Jerry was woman of poise and grace with a life full of experience. But I really never knew the half of it. At her memorial service, the minister’s eulogy was really Jerry’s words. She had written her life story, with the help of Helen Claire, about 4 years ago. This was her introduction to the residents of Kirkwood-an assisted living facility in Birmingham that she moved to at 90 years of age. How special it was to hear about Jerry’s life in the first person. I have never been to a more special or personal memorial service and it truly celebrated who she was and everything that made her the woman we all loved.
I asked Aunt Katherine if I could share that introductory speech on the blog so that I could have it printed and always have a record of Jerry’s story for my girls and their families. Here it is…
Jerry’s Notes she wrote shortly after her 90th Birthday
(2006)
Hello, I am Jerry Baier. I was born on June 13, 1916, and just celebrated my 90th birthday. I'm a native Mississippian--born and raised in Meridian and lived there until the death of my husband--and the interference of my children--until 4 years ago.
I was born to Abita Stroble and Thomas Moore and was the middle child. My sister, Helen, was 2 years older than me and I had a little brother, Tom, who was 2 years younger. We had a farm just outside Meridian and our initial childhood was rather like a storybook. Unfortunately, when I was 3, my father died of what is presumed a heart attack. My mother was a strong woman, educated to teach school and she plodded along trying to teach school; rear 3 small children and maintain the farm. Eventually, debt and poor management by my father's best friend and estate planner resulted in us losing the farm and moving to the "city" into an apartment.
My mother was a strict disciplinarian and although my father was Baptist, we returned to the Catholic Church after his death. She insisted that we all help financially and that the communication of family was number two in our lives; God number one and an education number three.
I was a pretty good student and long desired to be a doctor. To Mississippi College for Women (the "W") I went. I gained an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and had been accepted to Med School. However, Helen, my beloved sister, had met and married Winter Dawson and left for California where he was stationed in the army. My mother said it was Tom's time for college and looked to me to help so I took a teaching position making $25/month. My rent was $5/mo and I had to send my brother $10/mo. I kept $5 per month to eat and entertain myself with. And the other $5 was used to "assuage" my anger over abandoning my dream. I paid that on my first mink coat!
I met and became engaged to a wonderful man named Jim Baxter. Meanwhile, the WWII raged on. I would go to the officer's club with friends as dancing was always my favorite pastime. There I met Joseph Lewis Baier and fell in love with this little German descent pilot who had piercing blue eyes and played the organ and piano by ear. He was deployed to the Mediterranean so I opted to marry him instead the week before he left. My mother's only pleasure about this rash decision is that the silver and linens had all been bought thinking I was marrying Baxter and were already engraved. She was just thankful I had enough sense to at least choose someone with the same last initial in his surname.
Joe and I had 4 children, the first of which he met when he returned from WWII. Joe was born and some 24 months later, Michael. Helen, my sister, and Winter had returned to Meridian and she had a son 2 days prior to Joe's birth. All 3 boys were quite close and the support of family was ever present. My mother resided with Helen and Winter until her death in 1968. I taught school and Joe returned to civilian life purchasing a manufacturing plant that made men's shirts. We settled in Meridian. In 1952, we built our home in Meridian and I remained there until his death in 2002. At that time we moved in , I was pregnant with number 3 and my daughter, Katherine, was born. Pretty much I was on my own as Joe traveled and was gone from Sunday until Friday every week. I taught chemistry in the local high school and nursing in the junior college. Three children were keeping me busy and then lo and behold at the age of 40, I found I was pregnant with number 4. In 1956, my daughter, Helen Claire, was born. My mother was convinced she would starve to death. When Joe finally conceded that the clothing business required too much time away from home, he returned to begin her career with Equitable Life as an insurance agent. He continued successfully in this until his career was cut short with a cerebral hemorrhage in 1975.
In 1962, our oldest son, Joe Jr., was trying to find himself. He went to Mississippi State University and then one day he was no longer there. We searched and ultimately "found" him enlisted in the army as the Vietnam Conflict was escalating. Although I was devastated and feared for his life, my brother, Tom, had become a very powerful man. He was now president of ABC network and resided in Connecticut. I sought his assistance and through political connections, we were able to get Joe, Jr. placed in Germany in the medic unit. I only relate this part of my life because at the time I thought nothing good could come from this-- but in fact, it is how my second career was launched. I decided to take my daughter, Katherine, and Helen's daughter, Virginia, to Germany to visit. We drove to Connecticut and flew out of New York. It was there that I knew traveling is what I wanted to do. The civil rights movement was at its peak and my brother and his wife, Claire, made us cover our Mississippi license plate as we traveled north to insure our safety.
My connections with the school system and a wonderful travel agency known as Bryan Travel in Jackson, Mississippi, helped me organize my first trip, taking high school girls on 3 week tours of Europe. This eventually blossomed into a full time career and after my mother's death, I left teaching behind. Through organizing these trips, I was able to take my daughters and husband all over the world--but none of the children saw anything west of Mississippi until they were older. I continued traveling late into the 1990s but my husband's mental status deteriorated and I no longer could leave for any extended period. Helen's husband, Winter, died from Parkinson's and she decided to move nearer her son to Oxford, Mississippi. This was the first time in all my life that I had no family left near. My son, Joe, resides in Memphis to this day, and has 3 children and 4 grandchildren. My son, Michael, lives in New Orleans and has 2 daughters,4 granddaughters and one grandson. My daughter, Katherine, is in Southaven, MS, a suburb of Memphis, and has 2 daughters, the youngest of which is still in college. My daughter, Helen Claire, lives here in Birmingham and has one son and two granddaughters. (this was amended by HC for the service to include some of the grandchildren yet to be born).
Eventually, the management of the day to day care became too much and we placed my husband in the Veteran's retirement home in Oxford, MS I would spend 2 weeks in Oxford enjoying my time with Helen, also, until his death in 2002. After his death, Helen came to help me return "funeral casserole" dishes. I fell fracturing my hip. In 2003, I fell again, fracturing my hip a second time. Katherine brought my sister, Helen, to visit and after a rather wonderful day catching up, she went to my house, fell asleep and died in her sleep. My brother, Tom and his wife, Claire, along with my children, decided it was time I moved closer to someone. I balked for awhile but we eventually sold my home and I moved to Southaven to been closer to my daughter, Katherine, and my son, Joe. In the spring this year, my son Michael came to visit. Although I had my daughter close by, he felt I needed to give up driving and live somewhere with my contemporaries. We began the search and nothing in Memphis remotely approached the atmosphere of Kirkwood. My daughter, Helen Claire, and her mother-in-law had often talked about how nice Kirkwood was and thus, that is how it came to pass that I moved here. I moved here in July, knowing no one and found many "new friends and I thank each of you who have made me feel so welcome. So the next chapter in my life--who knows?
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