Elsie R. Baker

Elsie Ruth Baker   A life well lived best describes the life story of Elsie Pearl Ruth Baker.  Born on her grandparent?s farm near Mora, Missouri on June 22, 1933, she was a descendent of the Lutheran German immigrants who settled Missouri.  She had a life long devotion to high ethical standards and was the embodiment of Christian virtues.  She was skilled in a variety of crafts, most notably quilting, and was a charter member of the Thumb Butte Quilters Guild.  Her quilts showcased her high level of skill in design, technical ability and creating beauty.  She was accomplished in homemaking and interior design, with an eye for aesthetics, color, design and arrangement.  Her life consisted of four distinct, nearly equal time periods.  Her first years were spent in Missouri, growing up on a farm, where her strong character was formed.  A completely different life of nineteen years as an Air Force wife next saw her moving regularly, experiencing many different parts of the country.  She settled down in Mesa for seventeen years in her first house and took college classes.  Retirement in Prescott for the last twenty years has allowed her to continue to grow and develop her talents and gain new friends. She was 76 when she passed away on March 12, 2010.  She was the daughter of Emil C. Meyer and Clara K. (Cordes) Meyer.  She traveled to Arizona with her brother Leroy just for a visit and instead stayed and married James I. Baker on September 29, 1953 in Phoenix.  She is survived by her husband James, sons Thomas (Betsy) Baker of Tempe, James (Sylvia) of New Zealand, granddaughters Clara, Kinney, Jasmine and Justine, brother Leroy (Arlene) Meyer, sister Marlene (Ken) Spidell and nephews Randy Meyer and Mike Spidell.  She was a member of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Prescott. Her wisdom, character and love will be missed by many.