Eula D. Bakker

Eula was born on the 30th of July 1913, to Howard Alan and Emma Ella Mayfield DeBoer, in Reno, Illinois, in Bond County. She was their second child; their first daughter having died in infancy. She had three siblings, Marjorie Polly born in 1917, Iola Margaret born in 1924 and Norma Jean born in 1928. All of her sisters preceded her in death.

Eula graduated high school at age 18 and obtained her teacher's certificate from Southern Illinois State Teachers College at age 20. Her first teaching job was at a one room schoolhouse in Greenville, Illinois, where her two younger sisters were also her students. Eula was briefly married to William Bakker in 1942. She received a Bachelor's Degree in education from St. Louis University in 1943. Eventually, Eula went on to obtain a Master's Degree in education from the University of Houston in 1957.

She traveled extensively to the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, China, Mexico, Croatia, Canada, Ireland, England and throughout most of the United States, making friends in many locales. She retired from HISD in 1974, but continued as an educator of special needs children at private schools and tutored foreign exchange students in the English language. She was a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church for many years and was known to be an active volunteer at church functions and sponsored charities. Eula was a 50 year resident of West University Place, but in her final years, she was a resident at Clarewood House in Houston, where she enjoyed the many activities offered seniors at that facility.

She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Greg Musgrave of East St. Louis, Illinois; Deborah Musgrave Hammond of Bend, Oregon; Karen Wrice of Houston, Texas; Sharon Wrice Boyce of Willis, Texas; Ray Wrice of Concord, California, and Patti Wrice Seibel of Lansing, Illinois and 18 great nieces and nephews and 26 great grand nieces and nephews.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, the 30th of January, in the drawing room of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

An entombment is to be conducted at ten o’clock in the morning on Thursday, the 31st of January, at Memorial Oaks Mausoleum, 13001 Katy Freeway in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at four o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 31st of January, in the chapel at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5400 Fannin Street in Houston, for those who wish to join family in remembering this remarkable lady.