Frances R. Baker

April 6, 1934 - July 25, 2011

Frances R. Baker of Cadillac died Monday evening, July 25, 2011 at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City with her family by her side. She was 77. She was born on April 6, 1934 in Muskegon to Hans Droste & Suze (Pfeiffer) Helling and they preceded her in death. She graduated from Western Michigan University in 1956. Mrs. Baker started her teaching career working in Portage and Paw Paw for 4 years and had taught in Cadillac for 29 years and was a mentor for student teachers and other teachers retiring in 2000. After she retired she was a substitute teacher for 11 years. In 1988 Mrs. Baker was awarded the Michigan Teacher of the Year. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Cadillac where she sang in the choir for 39 years and also played in the Cadillac symphony Orchestra. Frances loved traveling, knitting and whittling and bicycling, and she with her husband Bruce biked across the United States from Boston to Los Angeles in 2001. On August 4, 1956 in Muskegon she married Bruce G. Baker and he survives her along with their children: Nancy (Bruce) DeWitt of Cadillac, Sara (James) Nordlund of Ludington, and Eric (Susan) Baker of Cadillac; grandchildren: Nicole DeWitt & fiancée Lucas Johnson, Abigail & Luke DeWitt, Kate & Emily Nordlund, Isaac, Hannah, and Ethan Baker; sisters: Marion (William) Roelofs of Noblesville, Indiana, Lieschen (Dr. Ronald) Hoeksema of Whitehall, Michigan and Susan (Robert) Hickman of Placitas, New Mexico; sisters-in-law: Connie (James) Grant of Tipton, Michigan and Shirley Cannon of Perrysburg, Ohio; many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her father & mother-in-law, Chester & Dorothy Baker; brothers-in-law: Charles Greenfield and William Cannon and nephews: Robert Greenfield and Jon Roelofs. Memorial services will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, July 30, 2011 at the First Presbyterian Church in Cadillac with Reverend Paul Tomlinson officiating. Friends may meet the family from 2-4 & 6-8 PM Friday at the Peterson Funeral Home in Cadillac. Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church, American Heart Association or to the charity of your choice. An online guestbook is available at www.petersonfh.com.