Zona Gale Baker Sweeney

Daughter of William Baker and Marie Cook. Zona Gale was born on 8 November 1950 in Munich, Germany. After losing her Husband in 2023, she continued to remember his wonderful memory. She always had a bright spirit even through the challenges she faced in life. Spending time with her son and daughter-in-law during the last few days, Zona Gale peacefully passed away in her sleep on 15 June 2025 in Spokane, Washington, Spokane County.

Zona Gale was a true artist and a beautiful spirit of the world. During her life, she traveled and lived in various areas of the United States. There she made friends and lasting memories. From places like Ventura (CA), Salt Lake City (UT), Stittsville, Cold Brook, Poland, Wolcott, and Croghan (NY). While living in Poland, NY, she met the love of her life, Bernard “Bernie” Sweeney. These two young friends enjoyed time together at dances, volunteering in the community (Kayahoora Ambulance Corps., working as EMTs), church, horseback riding, and just loving the “North Country” of New York. They married in one of the coldest winters in the north country in January 1981. There, she and Bernie brought their family together with their kids, Cheryl, Jim, and Shane. She and Bernie shared 42 wonderful years of wedded bliss until his passing in 2023.

She enjoyed working and interacting with many of her friends through the years at places like Beneficial Life, the Ambulance Corps., teaching in (school and church), being a strong influence as “Momma Bear” for our home, church events (with the young women and Relief Society), crafting and traveling.

She had an intense passion for people and art, with a true Joie de vivre. Her energy and grace brought so much warmth and beauty to everyone she knew and interacted with. With an ear for music, she became fluent in the alto flute growing up. She loved to craft and work with Bernie in their beautiful gardens. They both loved spending time together cultivating roses, chrysanthemums, lilies, tulips, dahlias, and vegetables. Their gardens brought light to their home every spring and summer. Her work with knitting, quilting, painting, scrapbooking, embroidery, and baking made so many of us all smile and cherish her skills.

Zona Gale loved to read science fiction, mystery, history, westerns, and a few good action novels. She loved taking walks, watching sunsets, spending time with her kids and animals, riding horses, bicycles, and motorcycles. She rode a dirt bike for many years, enjoying weekend races in the southern California deserts, as well as riding through the Pacific Northwest in recent years. She cherished her trips with family, with sister Sherry, sister Melanie, brother Butch and especially time (and trouble) with her younger sister Virginia, traveling across the entire country. She remained an active member of her community and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She held various callings over the years and enjoyed fellowship with her brothers and sisters of the church.

In 2012, Zona Gale and Bernie relocated to Chattaroy, Washington, as Bernie retired from the Dairy industry of Northern New York.

Enjoying her time in the Pacific Northwest, she and Bernie had many adventures, saw numerous new things, and truly got to know the area. Memorable activities like visiting the Davenport Hotel, driving the Cascade Loop, touring the Palouse wheat fields, riding a mountain bike along the route of the Hiawatha, motorcycling the Lolo Pass loop, visiting Mt. Rainier, Seattle, Tacoma, Coeur d'Alene, Priest Lake, Palouse Falls and numerous backcountry roads in the region.

Zona Gale is survived by her sisters, Sherry Miller and Virginia Richards, her daughter Cheryl Sweeney, son Dr. James Sweeney, and son, Chief Master Sergeant (retired) Shane Sweeney.

There is a headstone located in the Lowville Rural Cemetery (7799 NY-12, Lowville, NY) that will be marked with her date of passing. She has chosen to be buried with her Husband at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery (21702 W. Espanola Rd., Medical Lake, WA).

Tribute to Mother, by a son

Zona Gale Baker Sweeney, a strong, faithful, loving, and loyal woman who lived a wonderful life, greatly influenced and helped so many people in this world. She truly showed the world how to enjoy the

little things and see beauty in every situation. Known as just “Mom", "Cid" and "Mom Sweeney," she brought so much strength and endearment to those she met. She was a light for everyone around her, truly loving the Lord, sharing her testimony through her acts of kindness. She loved animals, especially her Bessie and Ralphie. She had a true artist’s eye, seeing the wonder in everything she crafted and tailored. I enjoyed her beautiful quilts, knitted blankets, and handmade clothing, delicious baked goods, summer “Sweeney” Bar-B-Qs (with Father’s chicken recipe and sweet corn,) and hearing her true pleasure in making things for others.

Sharing memories with her through the years, I learned how to be

respectful of nature and enjoy the simple beauty in all things. Seeing the northern lights, chasing lightning bugs, viewing the Hill Cumorah Pageant, riding the GoldWing across Lolo Pass, traveling to Utah for

Thanksgiving with family, seeing the original Star Wars hundreds of times (always enjoying it like the first time seeing it, her jumping every time Darth Vader entered the scene), watching The Chosen together, singing a cappella “Make Me Lose Control”, making German pancakes, enjoying North Country winters, and just being her son. I hope that in what I have done in life, I have honored her and shown her how proud I am to be her son. She is loved and will always be cherished, my Mother.

Shane Paul Cannon Baker Sweeney