Obituary of Winnis Baker

Obituary Winnis Margaret Baker (Graham) was born on September 29th, 1919 at her parent's farm near Vandeleur, Ontario. Winnis was the eldest of four children born to David and Enna Graham. Her mother was stricken with Tuberculosis when Win was eleven years old and went away to a sanitarium for four years to recover. During this time her father worked as a lineman for Ontario Hydro. He worked in various locations around the province as the children stayed with relatives. Win finally was able to finish high school at the age of nineteen and went on to complete one year of Business College, finishing in June 1940. Winnis married Garnet Percy Baker on May 31st, 1941 in the United Church "manse" in Thornbury, Ontario. For the next few years they lived in rented homes and during this period their oldest two children, Louise and Bob were born. Then in 1947 they bought the farm from Garnet's father, four miles north of Kimberly, Ontario and farmed there for the next sixteen years. Three more of the children were born during the early years of living on that farm; Bill, Ted then Bruce. While the children were growing up, Win was able to join several community organizations; such as the Women's Institute and the Order of the Eastern Star. In 1962 the family decided to move to BC where they settled in the Goodlow area. Winnis ran a grocery store, café and post office for sixteen years. Gar passed away at the farm on June 14th, 1985. That fall Winnis moved to town, and lived in a small skid mounted house. She had her little home moved several times; first to the company yard at Charlie Lake, then onto Lou and Ray's farm north of town. When Lou and Ray sold the farm and moved to an acreage east of the airport she had the house moved there. Finally, in 1999, Win rented an apartment at the Lutheran Apartments where she lived for the next ten years. Winnis always enjoyed her grandkids and great grandkids and they played an important part of her life. She loved to have them stay over, where she could teach them about the various interests she had in life, and there were many! During her years in town Winnis took on several public jobs. She was a Commissioner of the Girl Guides, a member of the Cecil Lake Legion Auxiliary, and later the Fort St. John Auxiliary, a member of the Baldonnel Women's Institute, as well as the Canadian Council of Women and in her later years did her share of projects for the "Drop-in centre" at the apartments. Winnis is predeceased by her husband Gar in 1985, her brother Don Graham who died in California in 2001, her son Ted in 2004 and her son in law Ray Ollenberger in 2009. Winnis leaves to mourn; her brother Harold Graham of Pinawa, Manitoba, and sister Betty Barnett of Fort St, John; her daughter Louise Ollenberger; sons Bob and wife Marilyn; Bill and Valree; daughter in law Sandy Baker; and Bruce and Candus; all of Fort St. John. She also leaves to mourn nine grandchildren and nineteen great grandchildren. She will be sadly missed by all! Services