JESSIE L. BAKER obituary

Jessie L. Baker, 90, died Wednesday, April 7, 2010, at the Care and Comfort Home in Havre of natural causes. Her funeral memorial Mass will be 10 a.m. Monday, April 12, 2010, at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church with Father Jose officiating. A fellowship luncheon will be held at St. Jude Thaddeus Parish Center immediately after the service. Memorials in Jessie's honor may be made to the Care And Comfort Home, 1204 Cleveland Ave., Havre, MT 59501 for the new building. Jessie was born Dec. 23, 1919, in Great Falls, Mont., to Robert and LaVerne (Hill) Mackie. As a young girl, she moved with h e r f a m i l y t o Lewistown, Mont. She graduated from Fergus High School and then a t t e n d e d Ki nma n Business School in Spokane, Wash. Jessie returned to Lewistown and married Tom Baker Jr., on Aug. 10, 1940. They moved to Havre in 1945, and Tom went to work for Havre Electric. Jessie worked as a bookkeeper for Morrison Drug and as a clerk in the tax assessor's office at the Hill County Courthouse. Her greatest joy was raising her family and enjoying her grandchildren. Tom and Jessie were very active in the Havre community, serving as members of the Lions and Elks. Jessie enjoyed playing bridge, was an accomplished seamstress and participated in women's gol f league. She enjoyed growing geraniums and bird watching, and she was an avid reader. They had an extensive extended family with whom they enjoyed camping and traveling. In her later years, Jessie and Tom wintered in Arizona. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Tom Baker Jr., in 2005; and two sisters. Jessie is survived by her children, Sandy (Ron) Olmstead of Mesa, Arizona; Don Baker of Lewistown, Mont., and Tom (Debbie) Baker III, Kathy (Jerry) Engleson and Janet (Jim) Branden all of Havre, Mont.; 12 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; two sisters- in-law, Barb Hopkins of Havre, Mont . , and Helen (Renny) Breda of Rifle, Colo.; numerous nieces and nephews; and a dear friend, Ginny Streeper. The family would like to thank April and all of the caregivers at the Care And Comfort Home for the loving and compassionate care they gave Jessie in her last months.