Aileen Baker

Aileen (Penney) Baker Aileen Baker, 88, formerly of Paragould, died Thursday May 21, in Topeka, Kan. Born Jan. 13, 1921, in Gainesville, she was a former member of East Side Baptist church. At the age of 15, Mrs. Baker left Arkansas for Toledo, Ohio and worked as a nanny. Later, she moved to Detroit, Mich., and married Frank L. Baker, also from Arkansas, on February 15, 1941. They were married for 56 years until her husband's death in 1997. She worked in a small factory for the war effort, then later as a hair dresser—a career she held through most of her life. She and her husband returned to Arkansas in 1978. She moved to Topeka, Kan., in 2005. She resided at Lexington Park assisted-living for three years, then at Homestead assisted-living until the time of her death. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank L. Baker; parents, Albert and Dora (Ethel) Penney; sisters, Delma Penney, Wilma Penney Smith, Elbertine Penney White, Cleavie Penney Herring; and one brother, Leavie Penney. Mrs. Baker is survived by one son. Terry L. Baker of Canton, Mich.; daughter in-law, Georgia Baker, also of Canton; a brother, Donald Penney of Topeka Kan., and his wife, Cecile Penney; a sister, Pauline Penney, also of Topeka; one grandson, Cary L. Baker of Dearborn, Mich., and his wife, Giovanna Baker; and two great-grandchildren, Christina and Michelle Baker, also of Dearborn. Visitation will be 6 p.m. Saturday, May 23, 2009, at Heath Funeral Home, 321 W Garland St. in Paragould. Funeral services will be Sunday at 1:30 P.M. at Heath Colonial Chapel with Rev. Jason Noel officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Midland Hospice, 200 Frazier Circle, Topeka, KS 66606.