Baker's House
Matthew and Rebecca Baker are married, with five children. The oldest daughter, Mary, is Matthew's by a previous marriage. Mary's mother died in childbirth, leaving Matthew with a newborn infant and a bakery to run. Mary is 18 years old.

Matthew married the sister of his deceased wife, Rebecca, within one month of her death.

Rebecca has given birth to eight children, but only four have survived. Their names are:
Garthe, age 13
Elizabeth, age 5
John, age 4
Sarah, age 1

Matthew's mother, Grandma Baker, lives with the family in the cottage off of the West Footpath.


Description of the Baker's House
By Jenna Skolasky
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Spring 2007

The Bakers live in the town of Hamelin, Germany. They own a little cottage off the West Footpath. Their door is always open to welcome any near by neighbors. Although the Bakers have six children, there are only two bedrooms. The living area is also a cooking area, where the great stone fireplace accommodates the cooking pots as well as providing the only heat in the cottage. A wooden table commands the center of the room, with assorted chairs and stools for eating time. A sideboard with a dry sink sits alongside the back wall and a hutch holds the crockery and mugs. A great copper basin sits on the floor next to the dry sink, and is used for washing clothes as well as for bathing.