Betty Baker

Betty Deloris (Bales) Baker went home on January 18, 2023. Services will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at 11:00am at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Chariton, Iowa. Family will receive friends at 10am, one hour prior to the service.

Betty was born on June 15, 1930, in Osceola, Iowa to Albert Clifton Bales 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, obtaining her teacher certificate. She taught at Wren Hill before settling back in Lucas, where she taught for 4 more years.

Betty married George Marshall Baker in January 1954. She had a long career as a Data Input Specialist at Meredith Publishing, retiring in 1985 after over 30 years of service. After a few years of retirement, she wanted more to keep her busy, so she worked part-time at the Lucas C-Store and Osenbaugh Seed.

Betty loved to stay busy, especially enjoying the outdoors. She liked trapping, fishing, and 4-wheeling. She loved picking blackberries, making gooseberry, cherry, and rhubarb pies, and picking and cracking walnuts. Along with pies, Betty enjoyed making cookies and was always ready to share them with friends.

Betty enjoyed embroidery and quilting, often selling her pieces, especially her tea towels. You never heard Betty tell anybody no. She spent many days opening the John L. Lewis Museum to visitors, enjoyed being active with the Lucas Betterment Committee, and always had fun helping with the cake walk on Labor Day.

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 (Richard) Merrill; grandchildren: Amanda (Rachel) Merrill, Ben (Casey) Merrill, Cassie (Steve) Beaver, and Andy (Natalie) Baker; great grandchildren: Dominic, Petunia, Olive, Ozzy and Gus Baker.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Mable Bales; husband, George; sisters: Mildred (Art) Rooney, Cleo (Dale) Coffman, Alberta Stanley, and Mary Ellen (Bob) Howell.

The family would like to express gratitude to Westview of Indianola Care Center and Suncrest Hospice of Des Moines, Iowa.

The funeral service will be livestreamed through the following link: https://my.gather.app/remember/betty-baker-jan-2023