Pearley May Baker Obituary

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.

Email

Submit

← Back

Pearley May Baker, 90, passed away in Santa Maria, CA on August 3, 2020. 

Pearley grew up an only child in Iowa and Missouri. She was born on April 27, 1930 to Fred and Addie (MacDonald) Ramsey in Livonia, Missouri. Her mother passed away from leukemia when she was only seven years old.

She married James William Brown and to this union four children were born. She was a stay at home mom until her husband passed away in 1970. After her husband’s death she started working at the hospital and then the nursing home in Memphis, MO as a nurse’s aide. She loved the work and the people and continued working there for more than 20 years.

She loved living close to her two sons and spending as much time as possible with them and her grandchildren. She was always showing everyone her trees, flowers, and huge garden. She often prepared meals from the garden when the family showed up at her house. Other than family, gardening was her passion. She fussed over her flowers like they were children and loved to be outside working with them.

Pearley married Ernest Ben Baker and sadly they had only a few years together before he passed away.

Due to her poor health, Pearley moved California to be with her daughter, Shirley and family. 

She met John Henry (Jack) Hartman, a fellow Missourian and they dated a year before marrying. Sadly, he passed away after just a few years too.

She liked to travel and went with her daughter and family to England, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. Her favorite place was Ireland where everyone accepted her as family because of her red hair. She broke her arm while in Ireland and remarked numerous times that she would go back again even if her arm were to get broke again. She loved the people there because they were so friendly and warm.

She will be dearly missed by her children, Lloyd (Esther) Brown of Greentop, MO, Shirley (Edwin) Allen of Santa Maria, CA and daughter-in-law Carla Brown of Keosauqua, IA. She is survived by her grandchildren from Missouri: Melissa Baclet, Tracie Lowe, Alicia Brown, Travis (Melissa) Brown, Kristen (Michael) Glover, Sherry Brown, Crystal (Rick) Mitchell, Patricia (Chris) Stewart, Classita Johnson,  Jennaleigh ( Michael) Rehard, Charti Brown of Iowa, and Joshua Atkins of Austin, TX.  She is also survived by many great grandchildren, and even several great-great grandchildren.

Pearley was predeceased by her parents, two sons, Harry Truman and Fredrick William Brown and two grandchildren Angel and Adam.

The family would like to thank Villa Maria Care Center, Santa Maria, CA and the caring staff who took good care of her.

At her request, Pearley will be cremated and family services will be held in Memphis, Missouri on Sep 19, 2020. She will be buried next to her first husband in Campground Cemetery near Downing, MO.