Callie Jean Baker

Callie Jean Baker, age 88, passed after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was born in 1928 in Floydada, TX to John S… and Opal (Holley) Baker. Her parents were share croppers and moved to Oklahoma, then during the Great Dust Bowl they moved to Grass Valley, CA. Jean spent her childhood there, married Bert Dilts and had 4 children. They divorced and she moved to Los Banos, CA. She then married Lee Ross Baker a T- SGT in the Air Force who also had 4 children, and then they had 2 more daughters together. Jean loved to travel and military life allowed her to go to Turkey, Germany, Texas, the Philippines and Oklahoma. They continued their travels in civil service to Georgia, South Carolina, and Adak Island in the Aleutians. Jean excelled at many hobbies. She was a professional cake decorator, wonderful cook, a talented seamstress, loved needlepoint, crochet and cross stitch, oil painting and became an excellent photographer.

They retired in Los Banos, CA and became beekeepers in partnership with Jean’s brother, Charles Baker, of Baker’s Busy Bees. In 1997, they moved back to Killeen, Texas where Lee Ross died in 2008.

They were both active members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Besides her husband, Jean was preceded in death by sister, Bernadean Baker and Ora Mae Boyle; stepdaughter, Angela Davis; 3 grandchildren; and 1 great grandchild.

She is survived by 2 sons, Chuck Dilts of Kountze, TX and Clyde Dilts of Ladson, SC; 4 daughters, Sandra Quinn of Castroville, TX, Rhonda Stewart of Weatherford, TX, Tracy Cook of Adkins, TX and Lora Lucas of Rossville, TN; 2 stepdaughters, Barbara Mead of Cedar Park, TX and Jane Hagerty of Sacramento, CA; a stepson, Ben Baker of Buffalo, NY; 18 grandchildren; and 18 great grandchildren.

The Visitation Service will be 2 pm, Saturday, January 7, 2017 at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel. There will be a private burial at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery on Monday, January 9, 2017.

In lieu of flowers, contribution may be made to the American Alzheimer’s Association.