Funeral services set for 9-year-old girl found in the Kaskaskia River
Funeral services have been set for a 9-year-old girl who drowned in the Kaskaskia River.
Ava Leona Delilah Baker of Mattoon was reported missing on Saturday, Aug. 2 and she was found on Sunday, Aug. 3. She was pronounced deceased at about 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 3 by the Fayette County Coroner’s Office.
Funeral services honoring her life will be held at noon Saturday at Schilling Funeral Home at 1301 Charleston Ave. in Mattoon. Pastor Ron Dickinson is officiating the service. Visitation starts at 10 a.m. and will end when the funeral starts.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office got a 911 call on Saturday, Aug. 2 that reported a 9-year-old girl had been swept beneath debris near the Wren Bridge area of the Kaskaskia River northeast of Vandalia.
Ava’s body was recovered from the river Sunday morning after multiple law enforcement agencies and first responders searched for her.
Her family gave a glimpse into the personality and life of the young girl through an obituary posted by Schilling Funeral Home.
Ava was born in Effingham on Aug. 9, 2016, to Kevin Ray Baker and Leigh Ann Fuesting.
Though the girl was young in age, the obituary says, “She left a mark on the world far greater than her years.”
She was described as being full of joy and bursting with love and a daddy’s little girl.
Nothing made her more happy than when she was riding four wheelers with her dad, cousins and dogs or getting muddy.
But, she was “equally thrilled to dress up, pick out the perfect pair of shoes, and strike a pose for selfies,” the obituary said.
She was “a loving big sister and a natural ‘mother hen’” who tenderly cared for every baby in the family, the obit said.
“She had a special place in her heart for animals, especially her cats,” the obituary said.
“She loved ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and TikTok, and was eagerly looking forward to starting the fourth grade,” her family shared.
“Her warmth, silliness and boundless affection, will live in the hearts of all who were lucky enough to be loved by her,” the obituary said.
To make donations in Ava’s memory, visit the tribute fund on the Schilling Funeral Home obit said.
Also, a GoFundMe page has been set up for the Baker family by Christopher Garrison. The page is titled, “Support the Baker Family After Tragic Loss.”
“Funds will be used for funeral expenses, to ease this hardship,” Garrison wrote.
There also is a benefit at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Main Street Patio at 420 N. Main St. in St. Elmo.
