Phyllis Ann Baker was born March 24, 1945 in Bourbon, Illinois to Glenn and Goldia Boyd. She passed from this life January 14, 2022 at the age of 76.
Phyllis was the fifth born of six children, including a brother who had passed at birth. She was preceded in death by her parents, one older sister Karen Schultz and an older brother Mac Boyd. She is survived by husband Wally Baker of the home; son, Glenn Baker of Fort Lauderdale FL; daughter Lori Reinhard of Springfield, Mo; two sisters, Nita Parrot of Arthur, IL and Becky Hausmann of Wagoner, OK; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
She grew up surrounded by love, fun and farming in rural Illinois. Phyllis had an outgoing personality and a laugh that could be heard for at least 200 yards. So much so that she was a cheerleader who was voted the homecoming queen!
She met Wally, her husband, in Arthur, Illinois through school activities and an outgoing older sister Karen who was best friends with Wally. As a responsible older sister, she was stuck with her younger sister Phyllis one night when she wanted to go riding around town. Phyllis ended up in the backseat having to hang out with the older kids and just like a great fairytale, a romance was born. Wally was 3 years older and soon was smitten like never before.
After Wally joined the Army, they would write back and forth on a near daily basis. When he was discharged and she graduated, they made it official on September 20, 1964 and the Baker family was established.
Phyllis became the rudder of the ship of this family, always supporting Wally in business and keeping the finances and records straight, basically, keeping Wally in line. Just like any great success story, there were failures at first, but they kept believing and pushing forward together. Their first child was born on their 3rd anniversary. Glenn Baker came into the world on September 20, 1967 followed about a two and a half years later by a little redheaded girl Lori Ann.
During this segment of their journey, things got a little rough for the Baker family and they ended up moving from their home in Illinois to a little town called Pryor, Oklahoma. In 1970, with a few hundred dollars in their pocket and a 1950 Studebaker pickup truck they came rolling into town to a place that would be their home for the rest of their lives.
Phyllis worked as a bank teller, church secretary and later in life spent many years at the courthouse in Pryor while still keeping an eye on Wally! He was always busy, at first working at least 2 jobs and later starting his own businesses that would eventually become very successful. Teamwork!
Mom loved musicals! She would get so involved that she actually would get on the coffee table and dance to the music of South Pacific (much to dad's dismay). She enjoyed playing Minnie Pearl along with Jackie and Don Stover at a Sunday school play! She sang in a trio with Annette Statham and Martha Kiesel at the First Baptist Church in Pryor. This liveliness carried on even after Alzheimer's Disease had set in. She led an exercise dance class at Brookdale in Bixby shortly after becoming a resident in assisted living.
Mom was a "dead shot", and never met a groundhog that she couldn't "take out". So much so that she earned the nickname "Annie Oakley". There wasn't much that she was afraid of in her life. She would stand up to bullies, she would sit down with the burliest motorcycle rider and tell them about Jesus' love for them. She would shoot swamp rats for neighbors and take a public stand for what she believed in. Nothing scared her...except mice. Yes, mice. When Glenn was about 8 and Lori 5, she showed her athletic ability one summer afternoon when a mouse jumped out of a woodpile and startled her. In less than 1.2 seconds, she had turned around, plowed over her children like a fullback and made it clear back to the sliding glass door on the home they owned on Oklahoma Street! Never looking back!
Later in her life, some of her favorite things were decorating for Christmas and gardening. Maybe because the Christmas Train was just a few hundred feet away, but Mom always had the Christmas spirit in her house especially the last few years in her home.
Phyllis was the fifth born of six children, including a brother who had passed at birth. She was preceded in death by her parents, one older sister Karen Schultz and an older brother Mac Boyd. She is survived by husband Wally Baker of the home; son, Glenn Baker of Fort Lauderdale FL; daughter Lori Reinhard of Springfield, Mo; two sisters, Nita Parrot of Arthur, IL and Becky Hausmann of Wagoner, OK; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
She grew up surrounded by love, fun and farming in rural Illinois. Phyllis had an outgoing personality and a laugh that could be heard for at least 200 yards. So much so that she was a cheerleader who was voted the homecoming queen!
She met Wally, her husband, in Arthur, Illinois through school activities and an outgoing older sister Karen who was best friends with Wally. As a responsible older sister, she was stuck with her younger sister Phyllis one night when she wanted to go riding around town. Phyllis ended up in the backseat having to hang out with the older kids and just like a great fairytale, a romance was born. Wally was 3 years older and soon was smitten like never before.
After Wally joined the Army, they would write back and forth on a near daily basis. When he was discharged and she graduated, they made it official on September 20, 1964 and the Baker family was established.
Phyllis became the rudder of the ship of this family, always supporting Wally in business and keeping the finances and records straight, basically, keeping Wally in line. Just like any great success story, there were failures at first, but they kept believing and pushing forward together. Their first child was born on their 3rd anniversary. Glenn Baker came into the world on September 20, 1967 followed about a two and a half years later by a little redheaded girl Lori Ann.
During this segment of their journey, things got a little rough for the Baker family and they ended up moving from their home in Illinois to a little town called Pryor, Oklahoma. In 1970, with a few hundred dollars in their pocket and a 1950 Studebaker pickup truck they came rolling into town to a place that would be their home for the rest of their lives.
Phyllis worked as a bank teller, church secretary and later in life spent many years at the courthouse in Pryor while still keeping an eye on Wally! He was always busy, at first working at least 2 jobs and later starting his own businesses that would eventually become very successful. Teamwork!
Mom loved musicals! She would get so involved that she actually would get on the coffee table and dance to the music of South Pacific (much to dad's dismay). She enjoyed playing Minnie Pearl along with Jackie and Don Stover at a Sunday school play! She sang in a trio with Annette Statham and Martha Kiesel at the First Baptist Church in Pryor. This liveliness carried on even after Alzheimer's Disease had set in. She led an exercise dance class at Brookdale in Bixby shortly after becoming a resident in assisted living.
Mom was a "dead shot", and never met a groundhog that she couldn't "take out". So much so that she earned the nickname "Annie Oakley". There wasn't much that she was afraid of in her life. She would stand up to bullies, she would sit down with the burliest motorcycle rider and tell them about Jesus' love for them. She would shoot swamp rats for neighbors and take a public stand for what she believed in. Nothing scared her...except mice. Yes, mice. When Glenn was about 8 and Lori 5, she showed her athletic ability one summer afternoon when a mouse jumped out of a woodpile and startled her. In less than 1.2 seconds, she had turned around, plowed over her children like a fullback and made it clear back to the sliding glass door on the home they owned on Oklahoma Street! Never looking back!
Later in her life, some of her favorite things were decorating for Christmas and gardening. Maybe because the Christmas Train was just a few hundred feet away, but Mom always had the Christmas spirit in her house especially the last few years in her home.
Phyllis Ann Baker was born March 24, 1945 in Bourbon, Illinois to Glenn and Goldia Boyd. She passed from this life January 14, 2022 at the age of 76.
Phyllis was the fifth born of six children, including a brother who had passed at birth. She was preceded in death by her parents, one older sister Karen Schultz and an older brother Mac Boyd. She is survived by husband Wally Baker of the home; son, Glenn Baker of Fort Lauderdale FL; daughter Lori Reinhard of Springfield, Mo; two sisters, Nita Parrot of Arthur, IL and Becky Hausmann of Wagoner, OK; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
She grew up surrounded by love, fun and farming in rural Illinois. Phyllis had an outgoing personality and a laugh that could be heard for at least 200 yards. So much so that she was a cheerleader who was voted the homecoming queen!
She met Wally, her husband, in Arthur, Illinois through school activities and an outgoing older sister Karen who was best friends with Wally. As a responsible older sister, she was stuck with her younger sister Phyllis one night when she wanted to go riding around town. Phyllis ended up in the backseat having to hang out with the older kids and just like a great fairytale, a romance was born. Wally was 3 years older and soon was smitten like never before.
After Wally joined the Army, they would write back and forth on a near daily basis. When he was discharged and she graduated, they made it official on September 20, 1964 and the Baker family was established.
Phyllis became the rudder of the ship of this family, always supporting Wally in business and keeping the finances and records straight, basically, keeping Wally in line. Just like any great success story, there were failures at first, but they kept believing and pushing forward together. Their first child was born on their 3rd anniversary. Glenn Baker came into the world on September 20, 1967 followed about a two and a half years later by a little redheaded girl Lori Ann.
During this segment of their journey, things got a little rough for the Baker family and they ended up moving from their home in Illinois to a little town called Pryor, Oklahoma. In 1970, with a few hundred dollars in their pocket and a 1950 Studebaker pickup truck they came rolling into town to a place that would be their home for the rest of their lives.
Phyllis worked as a bank teller, church secretary and later in life spent many years at the courthouse in Pryor while still keeping an eye on Wally! He was always busy, at first working at least 2 jobs and later starting his own businesses that would eventually become very successful. Teamwork!
Mom loved musicals! She would get so involved that she actually would get on the coffee table and dance to the music of South Pacific (much to dad's dismay). She enjoyed playing Minnie Pearl along with Jackie and Don Stover at a Sunday school play! She sang in a trio with Annette Statham and Martha Kiesel at the First Baptist Church in Pryor. This liveliness carried on even after Alzheimer's Disease had set in. She led an exercise dance class at Brookdale in Bixby shortly after becoming a resident in assisted living.
Mom was a "dead shot", and never met a groundhog that she couldn't "take out". So much so that she earned the nickname "Annie Oakley". There wasn't much that she was afraid of in her life. She would stand up to bullies, she would sit down with the burliest motorcycle rider and tell them about Jesus' love for them. She would shoot swamp rats for neighbors and take a public stand for what she believed in. Nothing scared her...except mice. Yes, mice. When Glenn was about 8 and Lori 5, she showed her athletic ability one summer afternoon when a mouse jumped out of a woodpile and startled her. In less than 1.2 seconds, she had turned around, plowed over her children like a fullback and made it clear back to the sliding glass door on the home they owned on Oklahoma Street! Never looking back!
Later in her life, some of her favorite things were decorating for Christmas and gardening. Maybe because the Christmas Train was just a few hundred feet away, but Mom always had the Christmas spirit in her house especially the last few years in her home.
Phyllis was the fifth born of six children, including a brother who had passed at birth. She was preceded in death by her parents, one older sister Karen Schultz and an older brother Mac Boyd. She is survived by husband Wally Baker of the home; son, Glenn Baker of Fort Lauderdale FL; daughter Lori Reinhard of Springfield, Mo; two sisters, Nita Parrot of Arthur, IL and Becky Hausmann of Wagoner, OK; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
She grew up surrounded by love, fun and farming in rural Illinois. Phyllis had an outgoing personality and a laugh that could be heard for at least 200 yards. So much so that she was a cheerleader who was voted the homecoming queen!
She met Wally, her husband, in Arthur, Illinois through school activities and an outgoing older sister Karen who was best friends with Wally. As a responsible older sister, she was stuck with her younger sister Phyllis one night when she wanted to go riding around town. Phyllis ended up in the backseat having to hang out with the older kids and just like a great fairytale, a romance was born. Wally was 3 years older and soon was smitten like never before.
After Wally joined the Army, they would write back and forth on a near daily basis. When he was discharged and she graduated, they made it official on September 20, 1964 and the Baker family was established.
Phyllis became the rudder of the ship of this family, always supporting Wally in business and keeping the finances and records straight, basically, keeping Wally in line. Just like any great success story, there were failures at first, but they kept believing and pushing forward together. Their first child was born on their 3rd anniversary. Glenn Baker came into the world on September 20, 1967 followed about a two and a half years later by a little redheaded girl Lori Ann.
During this segment of their journey, things got a little rough for the Baker family and they ended up moving from their home in Illinois to a little town called Pryor, Oklahoma. In 1970, with a few hundred dollars in their pocket and a 1950 Studebaker pickup truck they came rolling into town to a place that would be their home for the rest of their lives.
Phyllis worked as a bank teller, church secretary and later in life spent many years at the courthouse in Pryor while still keeping an eye on Wally! He was always busy, at first working at least 2 jobs and later starting his own businesses that would eventually become very successful. Teamwork!
Mom loved musicals! She would get so involved that she actually would get on the coffee table and dance to the music of South Pacific (much to dad's dismay). She enjoyed playing Minnie Pearl along with Jackie and Don Stover at a Sunday school play! She sang in a trio with Annette Statham and Martha Kiesel at the First Baptist Church in Pryor. This liveliness carried on even after Alzheimer's Disease had set in. She led an exercise dance class at Brookdale in Bixby shortly after becoming a resident in assisted living.
Mom was a "dead shot", and never met a groundhog that she couldn't "take out". So much so that she earned the nickname "Annie Oakley". There wasn't much that she was afraid of in her life. She would stand up to bullies, she would sit down with the burliest motorcycle rider and tell them about Jesus' love for them. She would shoot swamp rats for neighbors and take a public stand for what she believed in. Nothing scared her...except mice. Yes, mice. When Glenn was about 8 and Lori 5, she showed her athletic ability one summer afternoon when a mouse jumped out of a woodpile and startled her. In less than 1.2 seconds, she had turned around, plowed over her children like a fullback and made it clear back to the sliding glass door on the home they owned on Oklahoma Street! Never looking back!
Later in her life, some of her favorite things were decorating for Christmas and gardening. Maybe because the Christmas Train was just a few hundred feet away, but Mom always had the Christmas spirit in her house especially the last few years in her home.
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