Norman Lee Baggett, 94 of New Boston, passed away Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria. The visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, November 18, at the Fippinger Funeral Home in Aledo. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday, November 19, at Fippinger Funeral Home. Luncheon will be served after the service at Mercer County VFW in Aledo. Online condolences can be made at www.fippingerfuneralhome.com.
Norman, the only son of Vern and Beulah (Borror) Baggett, was born June 10, 1931, in rural Mulberry Grove, Illinois. He attended the Persimmon Grove one-room school, then Mulberry Grove High School, graduating in 1949. He enlisted in the United States Army on January 15, 1951, and served active duty from 1951–52 in Korea with the A Battery 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He later enlisted in the US Army Reserves serving 24 years, retired out as First Sergeant. He was an Instructor and taught for many of his years in the Reserves.
In 1955, he enrolled as a student at Southern Illinois University. While at SIU he met Barbara Ann Apponyi. They were married on November 22, 1956, at the Hurricane Baptist Church in rural Vandalia, Illinois. They transferred to Eastern Illinois University in the fall of 1956, graduating in 1959. The plan after graduation was to move to Alaska , but they both were offered teaching positions at Westmer in the fall of 1959 so they moved to New Boston. Norman taught high school shop classes at Westmer for 28 years. Over the years he had many students, and enjoyed seeing and catching up over the years whether out in the community or when they stopped by his home to see him, and even sometimes when he was traveling the world. So many of his stories were about his students’ antics!
In 1964, he purchased the New Boston Ferry for a summer job and operated it for 10 years. He enjoyed piloting the ferry, meeting new people and greeting old friends whether on the ferry or out and about in the community. When the Corps of Engineers decided to put in a new wing dam just upstream of his ferry landing, the ferry couldn’t continue to be landed on the New Boston side so he sold it to be used over on the Illinois River near Bath, Illinois.
Around 1974 Norm bought the last four river front lots in New Boston and eventually he and his friend Roger Grundstrom built his home overlooking the Mississippi River. He enjoyed watching the seasons change from his radio room and telling Ham Radio friends about the weather and the eagles outside his window. After retiring, he and Barb traveled all over the world, meeting old and enjoying new friendships. They did make it to Alaska many times, serving as missionaries at Kodiak Island, one time staying a full year as hosts at a bed and breakfast. They visited so many other wonderful places, including a return to Korea for the 50th commemoration celebration.
Norman was a member of the Mulberry Grove Masonic Lodge and the American Legion Post 1180 of Mulberry Grove. He was also a member of the University Baptist Church in Charleston, Illinois.
Norm was a man of many talents and always on the go. He was a teacher, an inventor, a Ham Radio Operator, a husband, father, and grandfather, among many other roles over the years. He knew and was known by many. Family left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Barbara Baggett of New Boston; son, John (Rebecca) Baggett of Chillicothe, Illinois; daughter-in-law, Ann Davis of Michigan City, Indiana; twin granddaughters, Leeann and Susan Baggett of Charleston South Carolina and Morton, Illinois; and Valerie (Mike) Dodson of Keithsburg. He was preceded in death by his parents and son, David Baggett.