Mildred Jeanette McFarland Baker (known as Jeanette to most of her friends and relatives) was born on March 5, 1930, the fifth child of Thomas Eubank McFarland and Bettie Ashworth in Trinity, Texas. She later moved with her family to Houston where she attended Reagan High School and graduated in 1948. After graduation, she worked at United Gas where she met the man of her dreams, John Frederick Baker. During those times, you could not work at the same company as your husband, so she began working at an insurance company. They were married on November 22, 1950. They had two children, Susan and John, Jr., and Jeanette decided to quit work and stay home to raise her children. She was an exceptional wife and mother. Being a one car family, John and Jeanette often planned weekend activities with their children and many of the neighborhood children such as putt-putt, bowling, movies, and attending a local amusement park. Later, she also cared for her grandchildren when they were born, showing them the same love and care she did her own children. Jeanette was married to John for 66 years, until he peacefully departed to be with his Heavenly Father in September 2016. Jeanette was John’s partner in his business, Best Service, where she often spoke to clients on the phone and completed contracts for the products they purchased. She loved talking to people – children in the neighborhood, her neighbors, and her relatives. She lived a full happy life with her family enjoying shopping, sports, gardening, and winning at Bingo. She once had Yard of the Month where she proudly displayed her sign. In addition, she loved animals. As her children grew up they raised dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, fish, rabbits, ducks, chickens, a raccoon, and a hog-nosed snake. Later in life, she never said no to babysitting grandchildren or the grand-dogs. And, don’t get between her and her sports. She loved football, especially the Texans and watched them every weekend. She even participated in some of the football pools at the nursing facility. If you spoke to her on a Monday, she would give you the latest injuries and the reasons the team lost or the plays they should have run instead. She also enjoyed watching the Astros and the Rockets. Family meant everything to her, and she often said, “There is nothing more important than family.”
The past four years have not been easy for Jeanette. She was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disorder that causes weakness in skeletal muscles, in April of 2016, and while it seemed that disease would overcome her, she was strong and fought against its effects. Later that year, after losing her husband John she suffered a broken hip and two colon surgeries. While her struggle was tough, she continually worked in rehab facilities to regain her strength. After that, she had been strong and insisted on living in her own house, cooking her own meals, and participating in home healthcare. She seemed to overcome everything that came her way, but she could not overcome Covid 19. In early July, she contracted the virus while completing rehab for a broken femur. Pneumonia came first, and then the Covid and sepsis overcame her body.
Special thanks to Theresa Jenkins who was Mildred Jeanette’s angel at the nursing facility and Barbara Sontag her nurse with the hospice service.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Bettie McFarland, as well as her siblings, Ruby Smith, Elmer McFarland, and Fay Tyler. Left behind to remember Jeanette is her sister Ida Lou Rogers, her daughter, Susan Shank and husband Steve; her son John Baker, Jr. and his wife Julie; her grandson Travis Shank; granddaughter Taylor Shank Grein and husband Jeremy; granddaughter Paige Baker; and grandson Kyle Baker.
A celebration of Jeanette’s life will be held at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway. Visitation will begin at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, August 12th followed by the funeral service at 10:00, and conclude with the interment.
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