Owings Mills resident Abraham Yaker passed away Feb. 24 at the age of 97. A Baltimore native, he is survived by his wife, Ida Yaker (nee Girshin); his children, Martin (Karen) Yaker, Allan (Adrienne) Yaker, and Stanley (Sue Ann) Yaker; his brother, Marvin (Erna) Yaker; his grandchildren, Beth (Scott) Schwartzberg, Annie Yaker, and Ari Rosen, his great-grandchildren, Dylan and Magnus Schwartzberg, and nieces and nephews.
The following article was written by Jmore Associate Editor Simone Ellin and published in February of 2019 on the occasion of the Yakers’ 75th wedding anniversary.
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Owings Mills Couple Celebrates 75 Years of ‘Good Times’
When first casting their eyes upon each other eight decades ago,Ida and Abraham Yaker were far too young to even think about marriage. BothBaltimore natives, Ida and Abe were, respectively, 14 and 16 years of age.
“I was in a girl’s club at the [Young Women’s HebrewAssociation] on Monument Street,” recalls Ida, now a bubbly 94-year-old with astylish red bob. “We had dances and the boys used to come over to see thegirls. That’s how I met Abe.”
That was a lifetime ago. On Jan. 9, the Yakers, who areresidents of the Atrium Village assisted living facility in Owings Mills,celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. They marked their specialdiamond anniversary occasion with a festive family dinner at Lutherville’sPeppermill restaurant.
In a recent interview with Jmore,Ida admits it was not love at first sight for the Yakers, and she notes thatAbe, now 96, initially “took out my cousin.”
But a few years later, Ida, whose maiden name is Girshin,invited her future husband, a graduate of Baltimore City College, to her promat Western High School, and the two began dating. The courtship was the firstserious one for both of them, and in 1942 Abe proposed to Ida at a banquet atthe Lord Baltimore Hotel.
During World War II, Abe served in the U.S. Naval ConstructionBattalions, better known as the “Seabees.” His first assignment was justoutside of Providence, R.I.
In January of 1944, while Abe was on leave from the Seabees, theYakers were married in the study of Rabbi Abraham I. Rosenberg, spiritualleader of Baltimore’s Har Zion Congregation at 2014 W. North Ave. After theceremony and reception, the couple traveled to Rhode Island together.
When asked what initially attracted her to her husband, Idajokes around. “Why did I marry Abe? Who remembers?”she says with a laugh. “I loved him, so we got married. He was cute, nice, hadblond, wavy hair. He was kind and he liked me.”
Several months after their nuptials, Abe’s battalion shipped outto Brazil, where they built barracks and cannons for the war effort. Meanwhile,Ida, who was pregnant, left Rhode Island and returned home to Baltimore to benear family. Abe was stationed in Brazil when Ida gave birth to their firstson, Martin, now 74 and a Reisterstown resident.
“She didn’t tell me what she had,” Abe recalls, alluding to thebaby’s gender. “She just wrote, ‘Bring [home] a baseball and a bat.’”
After serving with the Seabees for exactly “two years, 10 monthsand 28 days,” Abe says he was discharged when a cannon accidentally went offnear him, seriously damaging his ear.
Back in Baltimore, Abe began a long career as a foreman forseveral construction companies. In 1950, the Yakers welcomed to their familytwin boys, Allan and Stanley. (While Allan today lives in Reisterstown, Stanleyresides in California.)
“They were a complete surprise,” says Ida.
In the early days of their marriage and family life, the Yakerssay their lives were full of friends, parties and weekly gatherings withextended family members. Their “Ball and Chain Club” soirees were a particularhighlight.
“We started the club because we wanted to get together with ourfriends who were newly married,” says Ida. “There were about 15 couples. We metmonthly at each other’s homes. Sometimes we would do things like hayrides, andthe girls would pack lunches. On Valentine’s Day, the girls would all put theirnames in a hat and the guys would chose a name. Whoever’s name they chose wouldbe their date for the night.
“We had some good times,” she says. “They were our friends for50 years.”
The Yakers – who lived in Sudbrook Park for 52 years beforemoving to Atrium Village — were also active in many local clubs andorganizations. Ida still belongs to the Covenant Guild and tap-danced in thatnonprofit group’s theatrical productions until nine years ago.
Meanwhile, Abe has held leadership roles in the PikesvilleRotary Club, served as a Cub Scout leader, and is the oldest andlongest-standing member of the Easterwood Park Boys Club. In his spare time, hewas also a talented potter.
After their sons were grown up, Ida worked for the late Dr.Edgar Berman, a prominent local surgeon, community leader and author. “Heworked with Albert Schweitzer,” says Ida, holding up a copy of Dr. Berman’smemoir, “In Africa With Schweitzer.”
Over the years, the Yakers have enjoyed traveling togetheraround the world, visiting such countries as France, England, Colombia andIsrael. They have four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and a greatniece and nephew.
“We took care of each other,” says Ida, when asked about thesecret ingredient of their long and happy union. “We never needed to see apsychologist. But it wasn’t always easy. It was hard. We worked hard.
“People ask me, ‘What’s your secret?’” she says. “I don’t know.The days just roll on.”
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