Catherine Baker Obituary

Catherine Alice Becker Baker, 91, passed away peacefully in Baton Rouge, LA on April 6, 2024. Catherine, known as Cathy by all, was born in Osborne County, Kansas on July 13, 1932 to Conrad and Katie Becker. She spent her childhood years on their farm, which was the source of many a fun story about farm life. She loved to tag around with her dad outdoors. She attended elementary school at Iowa School; a one room rural school, later years were at St. Boniface School in Tipton, KS. She loved school, and excelled at all her studies. She spent one year at Marymount College in Salina, KS, and then married Leroy Joseph Mick (Lee) in 1951 in Tipton, KS. They spent adventurous years together on the island of Guam, the Pacific Northwest, Colorado and California, as well as Kansas, where they built a beautiful log cabin home on Tipton's main street. After Lee and Cathy divorced in 1973 Cathy relocated to Baton Rouge, LA and easily landed a job as a Legal Secretary for Taylor, Porter, Brooks and Phillips. While in Baton Rouge she was a member of the sorority Beta Sigma Phi. She married William C. Baker (Bill) in 1978. After he retired as a chemical engineer she retired soon after and they traveled extensively. They fell in love with Sedona, AZ after a visit there, and moved to Sedona in 1998. They built a beautiful home and had full lives, both actively engaging in their neighborhood, Thunder Mountain, and she with her beloved church St. John Vianney. When Bill was diagnosed with dementia they moved to Via Christi Assisted Living in Hays, KS where her son Greg lived. Bill passed away in 2019, after which Cathy moved to Baton Rouge again. This move was prompted by the birth of Cathy's great-grandson Griffin in 2019, born to granddaughter Ashley and husband Mitch Lowry. Cathy delighted in frequent visits from Griffin and his parents. Cathy had always loved words and was known among family and friends for the engaging, well written letters that they received while she was off in far away places with Lee. Indeed until her death, she could turn out great notes, email and text messages, always well composed and thoughtful. She wrote her life story titled Sunflowers and a Tumbleweed in 2013; it has proved useful as a reference for her family! Cathy also loved plants and had beautiful yards in Baton Rouge and Sedona. Cathy was gracious and loving, kind, caring and generous, lovely inside and out, and she made many dear friends in many places. All her friends were very special to her but she had four almost life-long Kansas friends with whom she had an extra special bond: Clarence (deceased) and Marilyn Hake of Tipton, KS, and Bob (deceased) and Barb Corpstein, also of Tipton. She was a wonderful mother, deeply cherished by her family. She unfailingly wore a smile, and had a wry sense of humor. A notable personality trait was to remain unruffled, no matter what. She was game for just about anything her husbands and kids put her up to and was simply a joy to be around. She was classy and well dressed, always. Cathy loved the Sunday cartoons, she called them the funnies, and always enjoyed a good comedy on TV. Cathy was a devout Catholic and contributed to the St. Boniface church in Tipton, KS her entire adult life and was a member of St. George Catholic Church in Baton Rouge at the time of her death. Cathy is preceded in death by her parents, Conrad and Katie; siblings Mathias, Anna, and Delphine; her first and second husbands, Lee and Bill; an infant daughter Suzanne; son Gary, and stepson-in-law Fritz Peters. She is survived by son Barry (JoAnne) Mick; daughter Renee Mick and partner Ray Browning; son Gregory (Robin) Mick; stepdaughter Amy (Scott) Palomaki and their daughters Paige and Sydney; stepdaughter Cynthia Peters; stepdaughter Shelby Baker and daughter Madison; daughter-in-law Frieda Mick; granddaughter Ashley (Mitch) Lowry; grandson Matt Mick; great-grandson Griffin Mick Lowry, and many loving nieces, nephews, and friends. Cathy will live on in our hearts forever. Services will be held at Greenoaks Memorial Park and Funeral Home on Friday, April 12, 2024. Visitation at 12 p.m. with the Funeral Service starting at 2 p.m.