Betty Deloris Baker

Betty was born at home on June 15, 1930, in Otter Creek twp. Lucas County, Iowa to Albert Clifton and Mable Leola (Boston) Bales, the middle daughter of 5. She began school at the Norwood Consolidated School, then graduated from Chariton High School in 1947. From 1947-1949 she attended Simpson College (Indianola, Iowa), obtaining her teacher certificate. Beginning her career as a teacher at Wren Hill (Otter Creek, Lucas County, Iowa) before being moved to Lucas School (Lucas, Iowa), where she taught for 4 years. Betty married George Marshall Baker in January 1954 and later that year started a long career as a Data Input Specialist at Meredith Publishing (Des Moines, Iowa), retiring in 1985 after 30 years of service. After moving back to Norwood and wanted more to keep busy, she worked part-time at the Lucas C-Store and Osenbaugh Seed. Betty loved to stay busy, especially enjoying the outdoors with George; trapping, fishing, and 4-wheeling. She enjoyed picking grapes, blackberries and raspberries to make jelly, along with Apple Butter, made pies (gooseberry, cherry, peach, apple, and rhubarb). She picked up and cracked Walnuts and enjoyed making cookies. Sharing them all with friends and family. Betty enjoyed embroidery, selling her tea towels, and giving others to family, along with her quilts she made. You never heard Betty tell anybody no. She spent many days volunteering at the John L. Lewis Museum (Lucas, Iowa). She was also active with the Lucas Betterment Commitee, always had fun helping with the cake walk on Labor Day celebration. Betty loved her family and to her, her grandchildren could do no wrong, as she adored them greatly. She will be dearly missed by her children: Danny Baker and Debi (Rich) Merrill; grandchildren: Amanda (Rachel) Merrill, Ben (Casey) Merrill, Cassie (Steve) Beaver, Andy (Natalie) Baker; great grandchildren Dominic, Petunia, Olive, Ozzy and Gus Baker. Betty went home on January 18, 2023. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mable (Boston) and Albert Bales; husband, George; sisters: Mildred (Art) Rooney, Cleo (Dale) Coffman, Alberta Stanley and Mary Ellen (Bob) Howell.