Helene Daher Baker

Helene (Daher) Baker, age 84, formerly of Tigard passed away April 16th, 2025. Funeral Services will be held at the Family Baptist Church in Tigard,11:00 A.M. on Sunday, May 18th at 11585 SW 67th Portland, OR 97223, with Pastor Mark Konrad.

Born August 12th, 1940, in Poland during World War II, she was the eldest of five children. She faced many battles early on, including separation from her mother and father due to injuries sustained in the war. Her grandmother was left to take care of her and her sibling. During that time, Russians invaded their home, taking the life of her grandfather, forcing the family to flee. They successfully fled from the Russians after many enduring nights, only to end up in a refugee camp on the island of Amrun, off the coast of Denmark. Years later, in 1947, the family was finally reunited with the help of the Red Cross. They attempted to rebuild, settling in a home near Hanover, Germany.

In November of 1951, the family chose to immigrate to the United States. The family had found a sponsor located in Salem, OR. By the end of November, a distant relative helped the family move to Broadmead Farm outside of Amity, OR, where the family was able to establish themselves and begin their lives as new Americans. There in Amity, Helene and her brother were able to begin school. At age 11, she began the arduous process of learning English and assimilation to the culture of the United States. To this day, Amity remains a special place to the Daher's, the family still visits the farm to embrace and remember their roots.

By 1955 the Daher family was complete, they had decided to move to McMinnville, OR and settle. Helene graduated McMinnville High School in 1958 and began working at the First National Bank where she was introduced to her (late) husband of 47 years, Jim Baker, through his sister, her coworker. They were married soon in 1961 by Jim’s father, a pastor in the town Helene was raised. The newlyweds decided to build their home from the ground up and chose to live in the heart of Tigard. In 1962, they had their eldest child, Mark Baker. By 1969, the family was complete after the adoption of a daughter, Trisha Baker.

Helene’s biggest joy in life was the family she had built. She treasured her loved ones proudly and held family values close to her heart. To her, it was mandatory to celebrate each holiday and birthday with passion, she cherished every single occasion and moment to celebrate one another to show the importance of family. She never missed a holiday or birthday. Helene was the rock of our little family, especially when James passed on December 14, 2007. She held down the home and brought us all together. She loved her granddaughter Sondra with all her heart and had a very close relationship with her. She was always so excited to go on shopping adventures with Sondra or riding with her to thrift stores. Helene had a close bond with her children, daily and weekly calls with Trish and Mark lived with her, and they spent every evening talking about life. Mark was a companion as much as a son; he considered her to be his Hero. They had over a decade of living in the childhood home and taking care of her fur baby Chewy. Trisha had a very close bond with Helene, they always made sure to talk or visit weekly or even daily. Helene was not only a Mom, a Nana, or even Mummsy. She was a confidant and a deep religious instructor for her.

Aside from raising two children, Helene spent her life volunteering, substitute teaching, working at rest homes, always caring for others. She even made time for college, attending Marylhurst College from 1991 to 1993. In 2002, Helene was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, stage 4. She endured chemotherapy and radiation, and her cancer went into remission until she passed. Even during this dark time, Helene was in prayer; she never gave up and encouraged others in treatment, leading them to Jesus. She also took care of Sondra with Jim driving to Portland from Tigard every weekday until she was two years old. She was the best grandmother and loved to see Sondra's achievements as a baby to toddler and take her for drives or walks to the nearby parks.

In her free time, Helene was a talented textile artist. With skills passed down from generations, she found comfort and familiarity within the crafts. If she wasn’t busy caring for her family or studying the word of the Lord, you’d find her sitting at her sewing machine or with a pair of knitting needles in hand. Helene also had a deep love for travel, her happy place being the beach. Helene and Jim had many adventures exploring the country together, but to her, nothing could compare to the beloved Oregon coast. Helene also loved to fly, she went to Germany to visit her late mother and her sister Doris multiple times, also to Ohio to visit her sister Barbara & brother-in-law Heiner. Helene never missed a birthday card to relatives or friends, it's a lost art, but she did mail them out up until her stroke on March 26th, 2025.

She found community within her church, becoming a true follower of Christ and a well-established member within the family Baptist church. Helene dedicated her life to God's will and living a life full of faith. Her church was her most valued community; she never stopped educating herself on the word of God, no matter her age. Every week, Helene dedicated hours to learning and finding meaning in everything the Lord has to offer. She made it clear that no matter how old you get, your faith leads you and grows with you. Helene lived her life for God and her family.

Helene shocked the whole family when she had a massive stroke on March 26th, 2025. Because of the cancer her body was weak. She made it three weeks in the hospital until God took her on April 16th, 2025. She is preceded in death by her parents, Heinrich and Elze Daher, and her two brothers, Pete and Jerry Daher. She is survived by her two sisters, Barbara Pirk and Doris Daher; her two children, Mark and Trisha Baker and her only grandchild, Sondra Morrison.

On Tuesday, May 20th, Helene’s ashes will be reunited and laid to rest with her late husband James Wilbur Baker at Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 SE Mt Scott Blvd, Happy Valley, OR 97086.