In Loving Memory of... Joanne Baker

Joanne Baker, 72, of Grand Terrace, California, passed away on July 28th, 2015. She was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and raised in San Benito, Texas. Joanne graduated from San Benito High School and furthered her education at a secretarial school in South Texas. Throughout the years she held several jobs so that her girls could participate in their many afterschool activities, but she spent most of her time providing a loving home for her family. Her faith and love for Jesus was the cornerstone for the life she led and the legacy she passed on to her daughters. Wendell Baker cherished her for 53 years as her husband and best friend, enjoying a love and mutual respect that was enviable. They moved with his job for the first years of their marriage and settled in Grand Terrace in 1967. The friendships and memories made in Grand Terrace have been a blessing beyond measure. Her friendship motto, “Your friends are your friends in spite of their faults,” demonstrated her unconditional love for those around her. Joanne was a member of the Grand Terrace Women’s Club holding many board positions, her favorite being the position of Veteran’s Affairs Chairman. She volunteered with the Grand Terrace Swim Club, Grand Terrace Elementary School, Terrace View Elementary School, Colton High School Band Boosters, Colton High School Chamber Singers Boosters, and many other civic clubs. She had a passion for her grandchildren, reading, and her roses. She never went anywhere without a book or her Nook. Her children were blessed by her love and dedication to them and their activities, always the parent who looked after anyone who had a need. Her greatest joy as time went on were her grandchildren, who affectionately called her MeMa. She traveled all over the country and the world to make sure she was with each of them on their birthdays. She is survived by her husband Wendell Baker, her daughters Wendy Baker and Yvette Werner, her son-in-law Mark Werner who she loved as her own, her grandchildren, Austin Werner, Chad Baker, and Jared Werner. She was the big sister and lifetime support to Leroy and Jimmy Cone, who preceded her in death, and Thurman (Tuffy) and Sherman (Tootie) Cone of Texas.