Helen Marcella Baker

She was born on Jan. 30, 1921, in Collinsville, Illinois to Anthony and Mary (Poshkus) Waichekauckas. An excellent student with an interest in science and languages, she graduated from Illinois College with a Biology degree. While working in a laboratory in Chicago run by Dr. Kathryn Knowlton, she was encouraged to pursue a medical career. She attended the University of Chicago Medical School, where she earned an M.D. in 1949. In her 20s, she shortened her last name and was known professionally as Dr. Helen Waiches. She continued her training and work at St. Louis City Hospital and the University of Iowa Hospital and became a board certified pediatrician. In the mid-1950s she followed her mentor, Dr. Robert Jackson, to the University of Missouri Medical School to work in the juvenile diabetes program.

In Columbia, Helen met Fred Baker on a hiking trip, and they married in February 1958. They raised three children—Ann, Kenneth, and George—and lived in Columbia for the rest of their lives. Helen and Fred enjoyed the natural world, particularly the beauty of Missouri’s hills and streams, and nurtured a love of the outdoors in their children.

When Helen entered the world of medicine, very few physicians were women. She found that her career posed a conflict, and she chose to focus on motherhood while her children were young. She continued to work on and off at the University Medical Center and to attend Pediatrics rounds well past the time of her retirement.

She was a voracious reader of medical literature and fiction, a dedicated gardener, a keen bridge player, and an energetic learner of many practical skills. Helen also had a strong sense of community service and empathy for those who were less fortunate. Her children remember her welcoming visitors of many nationalities and cultures into their home—Indian, Afghan, Cambodian, Nigerian, and Native American, to name a few. She volunteered throughout her life, helping refugee families supported by her church and volunteering twice a week for many years at The Wardrobe. She also served as a doctor at the Medi-Group free clinic in Columbia in the 1970s.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband, W. L. “Fred” Baker, in 2005; her parents; and her siblings Ann, Eleanor, Joseph, Anthony, and Frances. She continued to live in her home until 2016, when she moved to Cedarhurst Assisted Living in Columbia. She remained involved in Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and attended every week until the start of the pandemic.

She is survived by her children, Ann Baker (Chris Zeilinger) of Silver Spring, MD, Ken Baker (Melanie Brake) of Hilton Head Island, SC, and George Baker (Melanie) of Anchorage, AK; her grandchildren, Gillian and Camille Baker; and many other family members.

The family will receive friends at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. with a memorial Mass to follow at 11 a.m. In keeping with the Health Department guidelines of Boone County, all guests are required to wear masks and to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet. The service will also be live-streamed and accessible by way of the funeral home website at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/columbia-mo/helen-baker-9914484.

A private inurnment will take place after Mass at Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to The Wardrobe (715 Park Ave., Columbia, MO 25201) or St. Francis House (901 Rangeline St., Columbia MO 65201).