Raymond Floyd Baker was born on September 18, 1942 to Floyd and Roxona (Mobley) Baker in the sod house his grandpa built on the family homestead in Hereford, SD. He attended the Doyle School through the 8th grade when, at this point in his life, he was a working man, helping work the family farm/ranch at the original homestead where he stayed his entire life. Ray was a hard worker and was well-liked by those around him. Along with working the family farm/ranch, he would take on many additional jobs to help support his family. From working three sale barns and the oil fields driving truck, to working the missile sites and a summer working road construction where he was the lead man on site, Ray did it all. As anyone who knows Ray would say, furs have been a huge part of his entire life: from a kid learning and loving the art of trapping from his dad, to shooting enough jack rabbits to buy a car, Ray loved every moment of it. He so enjoyed the 17 years spent plane hunting coyotes as the gunner. He was a heck of a shot, and had the stories to go with all these years of plane hunting. Even after hanging up the plane hunting, Ray was well known as the local area fur buyer, buying furs alongside his daughter, Tonya, and processing a pile of hides every winter for 25 years. Ray also worked for many different neighbors in the area throughout his life – haying, lambing, and farming, he knew about keeping that square baler running. In his later years, his focus and hardworking attitude were on his cow herd, which he took a great deal of pride in. From driving the chuck wagon for the annual cattle drive, to keeping a close eye on the daily ranch needs, he poured himself into it. His beloved grandchildren were a big part of his life, and he always made time to attend their activities, being on the sideline for every football game and cheering from the stands at every rodeo. You could always find him bragging and telling stories about his grandkids and all that they accomplished. On December 9, 1967, Ray was united in marriage to Mary E. Bryant in Piedmont, SD. Throughout their 49 years of marriage, the couple raised their five children, Cody, Tonya, Roxona, Lawonza, and Joseph on the Baker family farm/ranch in Hereford, SD. Raymond Floyd Baker, 78, died Friday, March 19, 2021 at his home on the ranch in Hereford, SD. He had resided on the farm/ranch homestead, which was founded in 1907, from his birth until passing, where he was surround by his children and grandchildren. Grateful for having shared in his life are his children, Cody (Lynn) Baker of Rapid City, SD, Tonya Baker of Union Center, SD, and Roxona (Dana) Thompson, Lawonza (Brad) Montague, and Joseph Baker, all of New Underwood, SD; his grandchildren, Trevor Baker, Keely (Kenny) Carmichael, Nicholas Baker, Rowdy Thompson, Taylin Montague, Luke Thompson, Kade Montague, and Hank Baker; a sister-in-law, Frankie Baker; and numerous nephews and nieces that held a special place in his heart. Ray is preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Mary; his parents, Floyd and Roxona Baker; his brother, Elroy Baker; and four sisters, Beatrice Johnson, Mary Birdwell, Florence Hemenway, and Betty Sever and their spouses. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at the Foothills Community Church in Sturgis, with Pastor Harold Delbridge and Rev. Denzel Nonhof officiating. Burial will follow at the Baker Family Cemetery in Hereford, SD. The services for Ray will be livestreamed here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRKdpsbbBD1tauP3-XrhmIA