BERT BASTON

Albert Preston "Bert" Baston was born on December 3, 1894. He was a sports phenom as far back as 1911, when he signed up for football at age 14. He starred as a fullback and even coached the team before the days of professional coaches. The team prevailed even though there was only one football. He was a two-time All-American football player (end) at the U of M (1915-1916).

During World War I, he served with the 17th Company of the 5th Regiment of Marines. He suffered a critical leg injury while serving in the Battle of Belleau Woods, with a hole in his leg “big enough to stick a broom handle through,” according to family lore. Nevertheless, he went on to play professional football after college.

From 1932 into the 1940s he was assistant to Gopher coach Bernie Bierman.

Bert worked at Baston Chevrolet at 3038 Hennepin Avenue (1933). His sales manager during the 1930s was George Richard Baston, the only surviving son of John Judson Baston.

In WW II he served in North Africa as a colonel in the Marines and commanded a battalion that repaired equipment ranging from jeeps to rocket guns for armies in the European and African Theaters.

The 1947 directory lists the Baston-Barington Chevrolet Co. at 2612 Lyndale.

Bert was quite a local hero, as evidenced by his appointment as General Chairman of the 1948 Aquatennial – that year he lived at 2108 Kenwood Parkway, a house built in 1903 and worth three quarters of a million dollars today.

He moved to St. Cloud later in life and opened a dealership there.

Bert married Ruby Laird in 1920, and they had two children: Fred, who also served in WW II, and Priscilla.

See also:  Baston Family




 

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.