Mrs. Rachel Russell Hunter, 80 years, 5 months, one of the early settlers of Montgomery County, Iowa, died Saturday morning, February 21, 1925 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. William H. Davis, 407 Market Street in Red Oak, Iowa with whom she made her home. Mrs. Hunter's death was caused from old age infirmities. She has been bedfast for the past fourteen weeks.
Funeral services were held at the Davis home in this city today and the body was taken to Villisca where funeral services were held at 2:30 o'clock from the Villisca Baptist Church of which the deceased was a member. Rev. Richmond A. Smith preached the sermon. Interment was in the Villisca Cemetery.
Rachel Russell was the daughter of David Russell and Margaret Gourley. She was born in Highland County, Ohio August 26, 1944. She came from Ohio with her parents at the age of fourteen and settled near Villisca. They were among the early settlers of the county. On June 22, 1865 she was united in marriage to James Davidson Baker at Villisca. They were the parents of eleven children, two sons and two daughters being deceased. The surviving children are, Mrs. William H. Davis, Sheriff J. A. Baker and George Baker of Red Oak; Samuel C. Baker of Shenandoah, Iowa, Harry A. Baker of Des Moines, Iowa, Guy Baker of Graf, Nebraska, and Newton Baker of Panora, Iowa. Mr. Baker died in Villisca, Iowa in 1891.
Her second marriage was to George Hunter of Villisca, Iowa, who died in 1907. After the death of Mr. Hunter, she came to Red Oak to make her home with her daughter.
Besides her children, Mrs. Hunter leaves one brother, David Russell of Beaconsfield, Iowa, twenty-three grandchildren and twenty-two great grandchildren. Mrs. Hunter lived in Montgomery County for sixty-six years. She was a good woman and hosts of friends mourn her passing.
Those from a distance who came for the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Samuel C. Baker of Shenandoah; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Baker and daughter of Des Moines, Guy of Graf, Nebraska; Newton of Panora, Iowa, and David Russell of Beaconsfield, Iowa.
Red Oak Express, Red Oak, Iowa, Monday, February 23, 1925, page 2

Mrs. Rachel R. Hunter, for sixty-five years a resident of Montgomery county, nearly fifty years of which she spent in the vicinity of Villisca, died Saturday at her home in Red Oak after an illness of fourteen weeks.
She was born in Ohio on Aug. 26, 1844 in Highland County, Ohio, and at the age of fifteen years she came with her parents to Villisca. She was married to James D. Baker on June 22, 1865 in Montgomery County, Iowa. James owned and operated the first blacksmith shop in Villisca. To this union eleven children were born, two sons and two daughters of whom are deceased. Those surviving are Mrs. W. H. Davis, J. Arthur, and George Baker, Red Oak; Samuel C., Shenandoah; Harry A., Des Moines; Guy R., Graff, Neb.; and Newton I., Panora, Iowa. All of the children were with their mother at the time of her death. The husband and father died in 1894.
In 1903 Mrs. Baker was married to George Hunter, who passed away in 1907. In that year she went to Red Oak, and since that time made her home with her daughter, Mrs. W. H. Davis. Besides her children she leaves one brother, David Russell of Beaconsfield, Iowa, who with the seven children were present at the funeral. Twenty-three grandchildren and twenty-two great grandchildren also survive.
Mrs. Hunter was a member of the Baptist church, which organization she joined when she was fourteen years of age. The body was brought to Villisca on No. 4 Monday afternoon and the funeral held in the Baptist church here, with Rev. Richmond A. Smith, pastor of the Baptist church in Red Oak, in charge of the service, assisted by Rev. J. L. Boyd, pastor of the Methodist church of Villisca. Interment was in the Villisca cemetery beside the first husband of the deceased.
Those besides the children and the brother who were here for the funeral were Samuel W. and Jas. D. Baker, Lincoln, Neb.; Mrs. Tressie Mendenall, Elmwood, Neb.; W. H. Davis and Mark Adams, Red Oak; and Harold Baker, Omaha.
Villisca Review, Villisca, Iowa, Friday, February 27, 1925, page 4

Rachel Russell Hunter, 80 years, 5 months, 24 days, widow, born August 26, 1844 in Ohio to David Russell, born in Ohio and Margaret Gourley, born in Pennsylvania, died February 14, 1925 in Red Oak, Montgomery County, Iowa of LaGrippe, W. S. Riley, M. D., burial in Villisca, Cemetery, H. T. Thomas, undertaker, Red Oak, Iowa, informant was George Diener, Red Oak, Iowa
Information found in the Montgomery County Court House, Red Oak, Iowa, death records, book 1922-1939, page 60