March 4, 2002 NEBRASKA'S AMAZING PEOPLE: 73-year-old Nebraska woman travels 160 miles a day delivering newspapers, and has no plans to retire. By Babe Berryman MissingNebraska.com Western Nebraska The bank clock sign informs travelers on Highway #26 in Torrington, WY, the time is 5:16 a.m. A Chevrolet Lumina AVP pulls into the nearby Conoco Mini-Mart. A wisp of a woman climbs out, stoops to pet a dog, exchanges pleasantries with an early morning walker, and then starts to check her cargo with the assistance of Danny, a graveyard clerk at the convenience store. Her cargo--the Omaha World Herald. Ila Baker, 73, delivers this paper to "drops" which serve western Nebraskans and those retired Nebraskans living in eastern Wyoming. Mrs. Baker's day begins between 12:30 and 1:00 a.m. when she arises at her home in Bridgeport, NE. If the highways are in good condition, the World-Herald delivery person who picked up the papers in Elm Creek, NE, should be in Bridgeport by 2:00 a.m. Mrs. Baker's workday then begins. It's a 160-mile trip with drops in Bridgeport, Bayard, Minatare, Gering, Mitchell, Morrill (all in Nebraska) with the last three drops in Torrington, WY. She has made this trip for the last 14 years, six days a week. Husband Billy helps out by delivering the World-Herald one weekend morning and on days of inclement weather. Mrs. Baker drives approximately 50,000 miles a year delivering this newspaper. With her 14 years of driving, she has accumulated nearly 700,000 miles. Add Mr. Baker's trips and the duo has exceeded 815,000 miles with nary an accident, not even a fender bender. The Bakers married 25 years ago and have resided in Bridgeport since then. Mr. Bakers' three children have produced eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren for the two to enjoy. When asked what she liked about her job, Mrs. Baker responded, " I don't have a boss breathing down my neck, although I've had some great supervisors." What doesn't she like about the job? "Snow, ice, and wind" was the response. Is she planning on retiring? Her retort! There's a lady in Kimball that has been delivering papers for 29-30 years. I may not beat her record, but 'they' will have to take the keys away from me before I quit this job." Danny, the Mini-Mart worker commented, "Mrs. Baker is a very nice person and very dedicated on what she does." She is so dedicated there is at least one transplanted Nebraskan who enjoys reading the World-Herald at 5:30 a.m. in Torrington, WY, a distance of nearly 500 miles from where the paper was published. There are other World-Herald readers in western Nebraska and Torrington who hope Mrs. Baker continues delivering this paper another 14 years. Feedback