Carol J. Baker

Eaton Rapids, Michigan

Carol Baker was born Carol Jean Andress on January 24, 1946, in Lansing, Michigan. She graduated from Lansing Eastern High School. All through school she sang in the choir. After graduation she attended Olivet Nazarene College [now University] where she met the love of her life, Will. She majored in education and had a great gift for teaching. The Michigan District SDMI honored her as Teacher of the Year. She also loved music, singing in the Treble Clef Choir at Olivet and in choirs and solos in each church where she attended.

She was the mother of three wonderful children, Mark (Lorina) Baker, Paul (Martha) Baker, and Tamara (Mike) Grice, and grandmother to Rob Grice, Barb & Robbie Baker, Cassandra, Abigail, Sarah, & Melinda Baker, Olivia, Sylvia, & Cara Grice.

Carol precedes in death her parents, Gene and Marlene Andress, her sister – Carlene (Steve) Ehrlich and her brother – David (Jill) Andress.

She loved doing crafts, sewing, cooking & baking, SHOPPING and traveling, and most of all serving her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She never wanted to be in the lime-light and yet she excelled in every area of her life as Tupperware Manager, Bank Manager, secretary to the District Manager for the Prudential, Project Management Coordinator at Lansing Community College and District President for Nazarene Missions International, and pastor’s wife. She worked full time so her husband could pastor full time.

She traveled to 49 of 50 States, and she was planning to go to Alaska in the summer of 2014. On vacations and Work & Witness trips she traveled to Hawaii (twice), Puerto Rico, the Southern, Western & Eastern Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Venezuela, Aruba, Curacao, Brazil (twice), Thailand, the Philippians, Hong Kong, Paris, London, Scotland, Canada, & Mexico.

One of the last things she said was, “There is nothing more important than God. There is nothing more important than God, even life itself. There is nothing more important than God.” That is the way she lived her life, always for God and others. She will be greatly missed.

A Funeral Service will be held Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 11:00 AM at South Church of the Nazarene, 401 W. Holmes Rd., Lansing, MI 48910. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church and on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 6:00 to 8:00PM at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, Lansing Chapel, 900 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, 17001 Prairie Star Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66220 or at www.ncm.org.

The family is being served by Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, Lansing Chapel. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.grlansing.com.