Clear and Windy, 41° F
DonaBeth Baker passed away at the age of 80 on June 12, 2018.
DonaBeth was the daughter of Earl and Eliza Basham of Garland. She was born in Lovell and delivered by Dr. W.W. Horsley, the “Peace Rose Doctor.”
In 1955, she graduated from Powell High and then attended Billings Business College for six months. On Nov. 27, 1955, DonaBeth married her high school sweetheart, Lowell D. Baker. After the wedding, she worked as a switchboard operator in Powell for Mountain Bell Phone Company. After a few years, DonaBeth joined her husband, working the land as farmers for 50-plus years. In this setting they reared four children, and welcomed many foster children into their home.
The top loves and priorities in her life were God and relationships with people.
DonaBeth and Lowell were Foster Parents for the state of Wyoming, loving and rearing four different groups of children, totaling 12 in all. When their own children were grown, they welcomed many young adults into their home.
DonaBeth centered her life, first and foremost, to please and live for God. Her “church family” was very important to her heart and brought great joy to her everyday life right up to the end. DonaBeth Baker loved serving others and trying to make the world around her a better place. Some areas of service she enjoyed were:
• Serving on the Garland & Cody Election Board as a judge for over 35 years.
• Serving as President and Secretary for Park County W.I.F.E. and as secretary on the state level.
• DonaBeth loved to volunteer at the Powell Nursing home as the “Popcorn Lady” where she served popcorn and showed a movie to the residents for 27 years. Her voice was so well-known (and heard) that even the blind residents knew when the Popcorn Lady was in the building.
• DonaBeth also loved serving, for 38 years, as Superintendent of the Culinary Department at the Park County Fair.
In April 1998, Lowell and DonaBeth experienced the heartbreak of loss from the passing of their oldest daughter, Cheryl Ann, to leukemia. In 2002, DonaBeth and Lowell retired from their farm life, moving to Cody. In January 2018, with her health failing, they moved into the home of their daughter and son, Annette and Mike Christensen, in Cody.
DonaBeth leaves behind her beloved husband, Lowell, her life partner of 62-plus years; son Daniel (and Shannon) of Lingle, daughter Annette (and Michael) of Cody, daughter Amanda Beth (and Christian) of Kalispell, Montana, and daughter Christina of Aiken, South Carolina; and one brother, George Basham of Morristown, Tennessee. She also leaves behind a “quiver full” (Psalms 127:3-5) of 17 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
A life’s celebration will be held at the Cody Church of Christ, 2044 Stampede Avenue, on July 14, 2018, at 10 a.m. The family has chosen Cody Church of Christ Missions as a memorial donation, PO Box 1676, Cody, WY 82414.
