Norma June Baker

Norma June (Van De Riet) Baker, age 80, of Fort Peck, Mont., passed away Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014, in Billings, Mont.

She was born on Jan. 8, 1934, in Great Falls, Mont., to Harry and Bess (Kale) Van De Riet. She often spoke of her wonderful memories growing up in Sun River, Mont. She attended Golden Ridge Elementary and graduated from Fairfield High School where she enjoyed playing in the pep and marching band. She went on to attend Northern Montana College and briefly taught school in Bynum, Mont.

While at Northern, she met the love of her life, Doug Baker of Wolf Point. They were married on July 11, 1953, in Choteau, and spent the next 40 years of their life farming and ranching in the Sunny Side community south of Wolf Point. To this union they were blessed with two children, Mike and Christy. Doug and "Normie June" were married for 61 years.

She was a master of domestic homemaking. She had a compassionate heart – loving all little children, while her grandchildren simply melted her heart. She was as a mother a disciplinarian of respect and honor.

She was a sharp keeper of the Cross N books and Doug's partner in their farming and ranching operation. She was a caring and dedicated neighbor. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, where she served as Deacon and was an inspirational member of the church choir.

She had an amazing unexpected "gotcha" sense of humor and could hold her own in a lively pinochle card game. She loved to sew, write letters to friends and family, and stories. She enjoyed reading, needlework and gardening. She was very active in Farmers Union as a youth and music leader. She was as well, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat and delightfully Dutch.

In 1993, she and Doug moved to Fort Peck to enjoy their golden years and to make treasured family memories at the lake.

She is preceded in death by five brothers, Harry Jr., Jack, Robert, Raymond and Jerry; two sisters, Marilyn and Lavonne; and one son, Mike Baker.

Surivors include her husband Doug Baker of Fort Peck; one daughter, Christy Stensland and her husband, Jack, of Wolf Point; Ann Baker of Great Falls; grandchildren, Vandie Buckingham and her husband, Marty, of Miles City, Cole Baker, Becky Stensland, Meili Baker, JD Stensland and his wife, Kami, all of Wolf Point; great-grandchildren, Madison Stensland and Paightyn Stensland, both of Wolf Point, and Morgan and Ellen Buckingham of Miles City; one sister, Bonnie Crary of Choteau; one sister-in-law, Audrey Van De Riet of Augusta, Mont.; a godson, Jon Sampson, of Helena; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life was held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point.

Memorials may be made to the Faith Lutheran Home Foundation, 1000 6th Avenue North, Wolf Point, MT 59201 or to a charity of one's choice.