Ms. Elaine Joyce Baird

TX on June 11, 1929 to Robert Lawrence and Millie Mauldin Barker. Elaine was born at the beginning of

the Great Depression and she was the third of four children. In 1937 when Elaine was only 9 years old

her parents decided to move the family to Aransas Pass, TX. This is where Elaine met and later married

Mr. Frank Young in October of 1948. She eventually had 4 children with Frank Young and a family of her

own.

In 1969, after her divorce to Frank Young, she moved to Taft, TX and worked for K.F. Hunt, an oilfield

construction company. She worked there for 19 years as the office clerk/manager/bookkeeper. Elaine

then met Mr. Gilbert Oliver Baird and they were married in January of 1970. After marrying Gilbert Baird

she went on to work for the Taft Independent School District for 13 years where she worked in the

cafeteria and served as the food service manager in her last 3 years of service there.

At the age of 71 Elaine decided to finally retire from Taft ISD so she could care for her husband who had

fallen ill. Nine years later in October of 2009 at the age of 80 the First Baptist Church of Taft needed a

part-time bookkeeper, so Elaine went back to work to help her church. She was a math wiz and loved

numbers. She worked as their secretary/bookkeeper until the age of 85 until an illness forced her to retire

from the church in September 2015.

Elaine loved to keep busy so she involved herself in several organizations. She was the President of the

Taft Women's Club for 3 consecutive years and a member for 7. She also served as Treasurer of the

Retired Teachers of Texas for 9 years. She belonged to the Red Hat Society where she loved to socialize

with her friends, dress up, and wear pink and red hats. She was also a proud member of the choir at the

Baptist church. She loved to sing and whistle to her favorite church hymns and had the most beautiful

voice.

Elaine enjoyed working in her yard (even mowing and trimming) until age limited the heavier work. She

loved her roses and her hummingbirds. She loved to crochet, needle point, sew, quilt, solve crossword

puzzles that came in the Caller Times, and read the funny paper. Elaine also worked on many jig-saw

puzzles; four of a religious nature, which she had framed, hang in the Sunday school class she attended

at the First Baptist Church. She was very proud of her puzzles.

Elaine looked forward to going to church every Sunday. She loved Sunday school and looked forward to

the Sunday lunch that her sons Charles and Kenneth prepared for her each and every Sunday. She loved

the fellowship, she loved being a mom, wife, sister, grandmother, great grandmother, and great aunt. She

was strong willed and had a heart of gold. She was full of love and kindness. She would melt your heart

with her laughter and her smile. She had the kindest blue eyes.

Elaine loved Avon and Estée Lauder. She loved to be beautiful and feel beautiful. She loved Neil

Diamond and had all of his records in her collection. Her favorite candy was the tootsie roll. Her favorite

movie of all time was Gone with the Wind and her favorite color was red which she wore so well. She

loved Wheel of Fortune and could always solve the puzzles before the buzzer went off.

At the urging of her sons, she became the owner of a computer at the age of 70. She was apprehensive

to try to learn how to operate one of these “infernal machines”, but it became something else she had to

learn to do despite her lack of confidence. When she finally triumphed over technology, no one dared to

even think of taking it away from her.

Elaine was preceded in death by her dear husband, Gilbert Baird, her parents, her brother Allee Marvin

Barker, sister Emma Lou Barker Hunt Hughes of Corpus Christi, TX, and nephew Ted Alan Hunt of Taft,

TX.

Surviving relatives include her eldest brother Red Barker, 4 children Charles A. Young, Rodney Young,

Kenneth Young, and Linda Young. Her grandchildren William Samuel Foley, Melissa Dae Mitchell and her

children Alexis, Cameron, and Jackson, Charles A. Young Jr., Carrie Anne Young, Gilbert Young, and her

great grandchild Wesley Oliver Young, her two great nieces Tedra Emmons and Tracy Hunt and their

children Bryce McCaughan, Everett Emmons, Walter Emmons, Lillian Scarbrough, Emma Scarbrough,

Aaron Anderwald, and Allison Anderwald.

Visitation will be held August 9th, 2022 from 4-5pm for family and 5-9pm for the public at Funeraria del

Angel at 549 Cheyenne, Corpus Christi, TX 78405.

The funeral will be held at Graveside Prairie View Cemetery in Aransas Pass, Texas on Wednesday,

August 10th, 2022 at 10:00 am.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.FunerariaDelAngelcheyenne.com for the Baird family.