Creston, Iowa Orchestrates Ultimate Harvest of Thanks for Fellow Farmer, Harvesting 600 Acres in Just Four Hours

Paul Baker was a man of faith. Raising row crops and cattle in Creston, Iowa, he was known for his love for farming and people.

“My mom and my sister and I spent five days with him in the hospital, which in a way was a really beautiful way to get to spend some time with him, and he shared with us he’s only missed mass twice, and one of those times was the Sunday before he died; he made us go,” says Melissa Baker, Paul’s oldest daughter, as she laughed while also holding back tears.  

Paul was a devout Catholic whose faith flourished even on days his health was slowly fading away.

“Being honest, he's just a tough, tough old farmer,” says Melissa. ‘And I'm like, ‘Dad, I think you need to go to the doctor,’ and he’s like, ‘No, I don’t need to go to the doctor’ or don't even have a doctor. So, I truly believe he waited as long as he possibly could because he's so tough.”

It all started last December when the family thought he had Covid or a cold. What they thought was long-haulers from Covid just wouldn’t go away, with physical signs Paul’s health wasn’t 100%.

“He finally got over part of it, but it just never was a full recovery,” says Meredith Wulf, Paul’s youngest daughter.

From weight loss to becoming out of breath easier, there were physical signs Paul wasn’t well, but what they didn’t know until just five days before Paul passed, is he was suffering from something much more severe.

“We'd been there for a couple of days, and then he was diagnosed with cancer,” says Meredith. “So, it was very quick. I think the diagnosis came through on a Tuesday, and he passed away that Thursday.

A man who had never smoked a day in his life had lymphoma that had turned into lung cancer.

"I know he didn't want to be in a hospital, and this is why we think it was so quick. We think he just waited till he couldn't,” says Melissa. “He was ready. He was a very faith filled man. And he would never have wanted to come home and be on oxygen and take treatments that just wasn't him that was not living for him. “

Looking back, his daughters say they now see signs that their dad knew his health would be tested this year. Even with Paul not feeling well, he always put others before himself.

“He didn't buy cattle this year. I mean, there were just some things he didn’t do this year, and he seemed to kind of know [he was sick] and he would never want to burden us with any of that,” says Melissa.

A man who always put others before himself, was a sudden and deep loss not only for the family but the entire community of Creston, Iowa.

“There's other people in the community who knew something was going on,” says John Baker, Paul’s brother and fellow farmer. “I had a neighbor show up that week and said, ‘I'm going to run some of your beans', and thank God he did. I got to spend Wednesday at the hospital with John.

Paul’s brother John finished harvesting soybeans the day before Paul died, but with corn still left in the field, the community didn’t skip a beat. Fellow farmers, both nearby and from miles away, orchestrated a beautiful final harvest for a man who lived a life of integrity and truth.

“It was a great effort from the community. We had people from 20 miles away. Paul was very respected. There's a lot of people who came,” says Don Wulf, Paul’s son-in-law.

It all happened a week after Paul passed. Nearly 25 combines and 38 trucks, plus tractors and grain carts, came together for a touching tribute. The outpouring of support for Paul was remarkable, with the group harvesting 600 acres at five separate farms in only four hours.

“Everything worked like clockwork,” says Melissa. “There were teams, and we'll share the spreadsheet with you, but they had captains, and there were five teams. So, it was quite organized. “

“It was incredible,” says Don who was able to combine that day with his daughters, and Paul’s granddaughters, also in the cab of the combine. “No, we weren't surprised. Anybody that lives here knows how wonderful this community is. And the people that showed up that day. It was very overwhelming, but in an amazing way.”

The harvest wasn’t just a tribute to Paul as a farmer and friend, it was also a reminder to his family of just how loved Paul truly was.

“Very loved, very well respected,” adds Don. “There is there's nothing he wouldn't do for anybody. And they return the favor that day.”

As the entire family witnessed farmers salute Paul that day, it was a humbling harvest of thanks, and one for which they are grateful.

“We love you. And thank you,” says Meredith. “Our family is eternally grateful for what you did, and dad, he's just up there shaking his head that whole day we thought like just in disbelief, because he was a very humble person as well. But thank you. And we are so blessed to be in this community.”

Paul’s wife, Lynn Baker, is grateful for the community and everyone who’s reached out since.  The couple had been married just three days shy of 46 years when Paul passed away, and she says she’s truly thankful for everything the community did not only that day, but the outpouring of support and notes since Paul’s passing,

“I would like to say thank you and people have come up to me after this has been all over and said, were you surprised? And I say, ‘No,’ says Lynn. “When the kids were little, we would go somewhere and when we were going home, he would say, ‘I'm taking you to the best place on earth, and the kids would be all excited like Disney World or something. We would drive back into the driveway, and he say, ‘Here we are.’  And it's true. I just want to thank everyone for everything they did.”

Paul lived a life of serving the community through an intense passion and faith, which is why John knows next year, Paul will be along for the ride from planting to harvest.

“He'll be there,” says John.

From Paul’s morning text messages to the way he always knew the right thing to say, Paul’s memory will live on through acts of kindness in Creston, Iowa, a community that cares with the ultimate harvest of thanks.