Geraldine “Jerri” Baker, 94, of Memphis, Missouri, passed away March 17, 2016, at the Scotland County Care Center in Memphis.
She was born June 29, 1921, in Knox County, Missouri, to Cecil and Ruth (Slocum) Blaine.
From an early age, Jerri grew up in rural Scotland County and attended country schools and then attended Bible Grove High School for two years after which she transferred to Downing High School, graduating with the class of 1939. . Following graduation from high school, she worked as a waitress at a restaurant in Memphis which was run by her aunt and uncle, Jim and Jesse Crowder. She then took a job as a housekeeper for Dr. and Mrs. A. M. Keether at what is currently known as the Downing House in Memphis.
Jerri married Hillis Baker on October 7, 1940, at the Christian Church Parsonage in Memphis and to this union two children were born. She began her married life living on a farm north of Memphis but after a short time, Jerri traveled to Paso Robles, California, where her husband had been assigned to Camp Roberts, following his enlistment in the U. S. Army. That assignment lasted only a few months after which Hillis was given an honorable discharge from the army due to a previous ankle injury and they returned to their farm near Memphis.
She was a wonderful cook and especially enjoyed and excelled in baking, making birthday, wedding and other special occasion cakes in her free time. Her cake baking skills expanded, after a few years, into a business, catering weddings with her closest friend, Mary Nell Monroe.
Jerri is survived by her daughter, Judy Prada and son-in-law, John Prada, of Kansas City, Missouri and her son, Ron Baker, of Champaign, Illinois. Also surviving are her sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Roy Benner, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; three nieces, a nephew, three great nieces and three great nephews and many cousins. She and Hillis also considered as family Curtis Ebeling, Greg, Kathy and Andy Cowell and Nova Merchant and her daughters, Janet, Lora, Paula and Tami.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, sister and brother in law, Margie and Dean DeRosear.
She was born June 29, 1921, in Knox County, Missouri, to Cecil and Ruth (Slocum) Blaine.
From an early age, Jerri grew up in rural Scotland County and attended country schools and then attended Bible Grove High School for two years after which she transferred to Downing High School, graduating with the class of 1939. . Following graduation from high school, she worked as a waitress at a restaurant in Memphis which was run by her aunt and uncle, Jim and Jesse Crowder. She then took a job as a housekeeper for Dr. and Mrs. A. M. Keether at what is currently known as the Downing House in Memphis.
Jerri married Hillis Baker on October 7, 1940, at the Christian Church Parsonage in Memphis and to this union two children were born. She began her married life living on a farm north of Memphis but after a short time, Jerri traveled to Paso Robles, California, where her husband had been assigned to Camp Roberts, following his enlistment in the U. S. Army. That assignment lasted only a few months after which Hillis was given an honorable discharge from the army due to a previous ankle injury and they returned to their farm near Memphis.
She was a wonderful cook and especially enjoyed and excelled in baking, making birthday, wedding and other special occasion cakes in her free time. Her cake baking skills expanded, after a few years, into a business, catering weddings with her closest friend, Mary Nell Monroe.
Jerri is survived by her daughter, Judy Prada and son-in-law, John Prada, of Kansas City, Missouri and her son, Ron Baker, of Champaign, Illinois. Also surviving are her sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Roy Benner, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; three nieces, a nephew, three great nieces and three great nephews and many cousins. She and Hillis also considered as family Curtis Ebeling, Greg, Kathy and Andy Cowell and Nova Merchant and her daughters, Janet, Lora, Paula and Tami.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, sister and brother in law, Margie and Dean DeRosear.
Geraldine “Jerri” Baker, 94, of Memphis, Missouri, passed away March 17, 2016, at the Scotland County Care Center in Memphis.
She was born June 29, 1921, in Knox County, Missouri, to Cecil and Ruth (Slocum) Blaine.
From an early age, Jerri grew up in rural Scotland County and attended country schools and then attended Bible Grove High School for two years after which she transferred to Downing High School, graduating with the class of 1939. . Following graduation from high school, she worked as a waitress at a restaurant in Memphis which was run by her aunt and uncle, Jim and Jesse Crowder. She then took a job as a housekeeper for Dr. and Mrs. A. M. Keether at what is currently known as the Downing House in Memphis.
Jerri married Hillis Baker on October 7, 1940, at the Christian Church Parsonage in Memphis and to this union two children were born. She began her married life living on a farm north of Memphis but after a short time, Jerri traveled to Paso Robles, California, where her husband had been assigned to Camp Roberts, following his enlistment in the U. S. Army. That assignment lasted only a few months after which Hillis was given an honorable discharge from the army due to a previous ankle injury and they returned to their farm near Memphis.
She was a wonderful cook and especially enjoyed and excelled in baking, making birthday, wedding and other special occasion cakes in her free time. Her cake baking skills expanded, after a few years, into a business, catering weddings with her closest friend, Mary Nell Monroe.
Jerri is survived by her daughter, Judy Prada and son-in-law, John Prada, of Kansas City, Missouri and her son, Ron Baker, of Champaign, Illinois. Also surviving are her sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Roy Benner, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; three nieces, a nephew, three great nieces and three great nephews and many cousins. She and Hillis also considered as family Curtis Ebeling, Greg, Kathy and Andy Cowell and Nova Merchant and her daughters, Janet, Lora, Paula and Tami.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, sister and brother in law, Margie and Dean DeRosear.
She was born June 29, 1921, in Knox County, Missouri, to Cecil and Ruth (Slocum) Blaine.
From an early age, Jerri grew up in rural Scotland County and attended country schools and then attended Bible Grove High School for two years after which she transferred to Downing High School, graduating with the class of 1939. . Following graduation from high school, she worked as a waitress at a restaurant in Memphis which was run by her aunt and uncle, Jim and Jesse Crowder. She then took a job as a housekeeper for Dr. and Mrs. A. M. Keether at what is currently known as the Downing House in Memphis.
Jerri married Hillis Baker on October 7, 1940, at the Christian Church Parsonage in Memphis and to this union two children were born. She began her married life living on a farm north of Memphis but after a short time, Jerri traveled to Paso Robles, California, where her husband had been assigned to Camp Roberts, following his enlistment in the U. S. Army. That assignment lasted only a few months after which Hillis was given an honorable discharge from the army due to a previous ankle injury and they returned to their farm near Memphis.
She was a wonderful cook and especially enjoyed and excelled in baking, making birthday, wedding and other special occasion cakes in her free time. Her cake baking skills expanded, after a few years, into a business, catering weddings with her closest friend, Mary Nell Monroe.
Jerri is survived by her daughter, Judy Prada and son-in-law, John Prada, of Kansas City, Missouri and her son, Ron Baker, of Champaign, Illinois. Also surviving are her sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Roy Benner, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; three nieces, a nephew, three great nieces and three great nephews and many cousins. She and Hillis also considered as family Curtis Ebeling, Greg, Kathy and Andy Cowell and Nova Merchant and her daughters, Janet, Lora, Paula and Tami.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, sister and brother in law, Margie and Dean DeRosear.
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