Inez Baker, a resident of Beehive Homes in Bosque Farms, will celebrate her 102nd birthday on June 13. As part of her birthday celebration, a parade will be held in her honor.
Inez was born June 13, 1918, in an old farm house near the town of Mountainair. When when was just 9 months old, her father, Marvin Watts, died with the flu during the 1918 flu epidemic.
Her mother, Lillie Watts, made a living for her four children by cooking in restaurants and hotels. When Inez was 3, her mother married Gillam McKinley. He ran a saw mill in the Manzano Mountains. So Inez spent her childhood in the mountains.
Whenever the saw mill moved, a cabin would be built for the family and also a one-room school. When Inez was a teenager, her family moved into Mountainair. There, she attended Mountainair High School.
On April 29, 1939, Inez married Robert Baker. They had three children, Carolyn, Jack and Lavon. They moved around quite a bit, living in California during World War II, where Bob was a welder on warships.
Inez worked some out of the home but her priority was her family and taking care of them. She is a wonderful cook, and she once wrote, “Having our children was the greatest thing we ever did. They brought more joy to our life than anything.”
She is a Christian and has served her Lord and Saviour most of her life.
Inez was married to Bob for 38 years when he passed away very suddenly. She was devastated by his death but she being the strong lady she is, picked herself up and continued to live a full life.
She attended the Nazarene Church and the Baptist Church of Mountainair, and was very involved in the work of the church.
She has been very present in the lives of her children and grandchildren. She lost her oldest daughter, Carolyn, to cancer in 2002. She also lost a grandchild to a terrible accident in 1962. All of her siblings have passed away. She is the matriarch of her family, and a pillar of strength.
She lived in her home independently for 101 years. She now resides in the Bosque Farms Bee Hive, where she is at peace. She currently has eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and three great, great-grandchildren. She is loved by her family and many friends.
The Valencia County News-Bulletin is a locally owned and operated community newspaper, dedicated to serving Valencia County since 1910 through the highest journalistic and professional business standards. The VCNB is published weekly on Thursdays, including holidays both in print and online.
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April 18, 2024
