Patricia E. Baker

Patricia (Pat) Baker was born to Howard E. and Elsie (Sturdevant) Cole on September 25, 1941 in Tipton County, Indiana, the oldest of nine children. At age of 19, Pat moved to Racine, WI where she met and married La Verne Baker. She worked at various jobs in Racine including Young Radiator, Jacobsen Mfg., and Lincoln Lutheran of Racine/Becker Shoop Center where she was Administrative Secretary. She and her husband moved to Monroe County back to the farm where La Verne was raised when he retired. Then, Pat worked at the Monroe County Sanitation Office until she retired. She also wrote a weekly column for the Melrose Chronicle for 10 years and worked for the Little Falls Election Board for many years.

Pat’s special interests were Genealogy and Classic Country Music-from Earnest Tubb to Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, etc. She traced all the family lines for her husband’s family and hers. She gave family members copies of the family histories.

One of her sisters was adopted out of the family and Pat spent many years tracing Linda. She did eventually locate her but she was too late. Linda had passed away just weeks before after a heart transplant. But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. Pat got to meet her niece, Allison, Linda’s daughter.

Pat is survived by her husband of 60 years, La Verne; her sons, Jeffrey (Susan) Baker of Sturtevant, Wisconsin and John Baker of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas; 4 grandchildren, Amanda and Drew Baker of Arkansas and Jacob Baker of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Adam Baker of Sturtevant, Wisconsin; brothers, Robert Cole of New Mexico and Michael (Penny) Cole of Tomah, WI, sister, Holly Jones of Georgia; a special niece, Allison and her family; and other nieces, nephews, and friends.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Elsie Cole; sisters, Carol and Brenda; brother, Jim Cole; and 2 very dear and longtime friends, Darlene (Baker) Dilley and Shirley Beck. Pat, Darlene, and Shirley along with husbands, Jerry Dilley, Bernie Beck, and La Verne made up a group who had begun to call themselves The Over The Hill Gang.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2021 at Cataract United Methodist Church with Reverend Roberta Nowicki officiating. Burial will be in Cataract Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, The Alzheimer’s Association, The Morrow Home in Sparta, or the charity of your choice. Online condolences may be offered at www.schanhoferfh.com

Lanham-Schanhofer Funeral Home and Cremation, Sparta, is assisting the family with arrangements. 

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