Born on an Atkinson farm on September 26, 1948, Jean Baker began her journey through life. Jean was the second oldest of 6 of Ivan and Mary Jane Baker. On their farm, all the kids grew up riding calves and they all would wind up with scars from being thrown into barbed wire fences. She graduated in 1966 from Saint Joseph High School in Atkinson.
Jean, after leaving home to attend college in South Dakota for a semester, decided to then move to Connecticut to work for the phone company. At the untimely death of her father, she moved to Omaha and worked Ma Bell for several years. She enjoyed her job, and made many friends, one of which introduced her to Allen Craig. From there, they quickly fell in love, were engaged within 6 months and wed on September 5, 1970. Together they built a life they loved and vacationed in Colorado in winter and Chicago and Kansas City or Des Moines in the summers.
Four years after they married, they welcomed their first child, Karen; and a few years later their second child, David. In 1985, she and Allen quit smoking—an accomplishment Jean was always so proud of. Little did she know, she would be so proud 7 years later at the arrival of her first grandchild. She would go on to become a grandmother to 6 and great grandmother to 2. All the grands and great grands she would cherish more than life itself.
A challenge Jean faced in life was her diagnosis with MS. Although she did well with it for many years, she end up becoming wheelchair bound in 2010. Even through all of her struggles with MS, she never complained and handled it with such strength.
On May 31, 2015 the love of her life, Allen passed away tragically. She was so proud to be his wife and still celebrated their anniversary each year after his passing.
Jean loved God, the casino, margaritas, chicken fajitas, the Huskers football, basketball and volleyball, red beer, and talking your ear off every chance she could get. She didn't have a mean bone in her body. She was one of the kindest souls ever placed on this earth. She never felt negative emotions, and found the best in everyone and everything. Even when things got hard for her, she persevered and made light of things so as not to bring people around her down.
On November 7, 2022, Jean passed away surrounded by her loved ones.
Jean is preceded in death by her husband, Allen; and siblings, Maxine, Dan, and Steve. She is survived by her children, Karen (Daniel) DeCesare, and David Craig; grandchildren, Caity (AJ), Brent, Samantha, Alyson, Anabel, and DJ; great-grandchildren, Alayna and Monroe; sister, Betty Baker; family and friends.
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