'From the soul” is how Wendy Baker describes her efforts to honour and remember New Zealand soldiers who fought in World Wars.

Now the former Bay of Plenty/Waikato resident has now shown her respect in a new way.

Painting art onto round hay bales is her way of honouring NZ's rural men and women who left their farms and properties to defend their country – and had no idea what they'd face.

Her respectful motive? To encourage those who live in the provinces today to honour rural folk who served in the World Wars in a commemorative creative way this coming Armistice Day, on November 11.

'This Armistice Day is the 100th anniversary since the end of WWI – this makes it even more integral that we reflect and to try and do the best for our country – like they did for us,” says Wendy.

'That's why I put the art on the hay bales. I want others to be innovative with their own tributes to our rural war heroes.”

Wendy's great uncle William Torode Baker, a farmer, was killed at Passchendaele in WWI, 1917. 'He was only 20, it was awful.”

'My late grandfather, Edward Victor Baker, was in WWI, and my late father Trevor William Baker was involved in WWII.”

Wendy was brought up on farms at Kerepehi and Waihi in the Waikato which her father Trevor owned after the war. 'Dad was a dedicated hardworking farmer.”

Kerepehi proudly sent 15 soldiers to WWI and 49 to WWII. Wendy's grandfather Edward Baker farmed in Hunua. 'And my great uncle William was also from up that way.”

Wendy now wears her late father's war medals and replica medals for her great uncle and grandfather at commemorations.

And she believes the rural side of the story of the Great War needs to be told more. Young men left their wives and young children at home to keep farms going while they went to war and sometimes never returned.

'This side of the story does need to be told more but I know my father – he didn't like to talk about it because war would not have been nice.

'So I think you have to pick up the emotions that come through – you've just got to follow in their footsteps and make sure their history is not forgotten.”

Wendy Joy Baker's poem ‘Honour and Respect', written this mark the upcoming Armistice Day.

RNZ RSA national president BJ Clark approves of Wendy's artistic endeavors, including her respectful war history poetry she's presented at Anzac Day services.

'Wendy's done a lot of work off her own bat, through her poetry, ensuring her local memorials are cleaned up, and recently with her artwork on hay bales.”

BJ says Wendy makes us think outside of the circle when remembering those who served.

'She's focused on the farmers that served, which is a great thing because the farmers and those that were back here to ensure the country kept going and were fed – while all the labour had disappeared – is another side of the story.”

'And we should remember the families at home that suffered. Mothers at home worrying about husbands, fathers and sons. Children who missed out on so much because of the time they faced when their relatives were away.

'And we also forget about the animals that served. The large amount of horses dispatched overseas and were killed or never repatriated. Not only did those horses never come back but NZ lost a massive gene pool as the best horses were sent.” Wendy agrees, saying: 'More than 10,000 NZ horses went overseas in WWI”.

With Armistice Day approaching, Wendy is passionate about the remember those who served our country. 'I just think it's so important for people to reflect on the honour and respect our servicepeople – some of whom were volunteers – who gave to our country. And they did it for us.

'We've just got to remember that.”

More information can be found at: https://ww100.govt.nz/

Wendy Joy Baker wearing some of the medals of her late relatives.

Photos of Wendy's great uncle William Torode Baker, and late grandfather, Edward Victor Baker.