Carson says farewell to Baker

More than 400 people said goodbye Monday to Carson City teacher Christine Baker at St. Teresa of Avila Church.

Baker died of a stroke June 19 at Washoe Medical Center in Reno with her family around her.

She had fought bone marrow cancer for eight years, going to Stanford Medical Center last year for a marrow transplant.

She spent the summer at Stanford, but recovered enough to return to the classroom at Carson Middle School, where she was a special-education teacher.

Thunder punctuated Monday's service conducted by the Rev. Jerry Hanley.

Baker's daughter, Theresa Baker Eidukas, said she was at Denny's getting breakfast Monday morning and the waitress asked her what was wrong.

"My mom died, and I'm speaking at the funeral this morning," Eidukas told the gathering

"Was your mom Chris Baker?" the waitress asked. "We have two busboys who were her students. They say she was their favorite teacher."

"Mom would be so proud," Eidukas said. "They had jobs."

"My mom taught me what it means to be a wife and mother and every time we talked we said 'I love you.'"

Her brother, John Simonson, said Baker went through her life with quiet passion.

He told of how they went looking for a part for the car he received before he was licensed to drive.

"I was ready to quit after the second wrecking yard, but Chris wouldn't let me stop. We spent the whole Saturday looking for that part. She kept telling me to stop slouching. I learned something about perserverance that day."

Hanley visited with Baker just after her surgery last summer.

"The good things in our lives are gifts from God," Hanley said. "Chris was such a gift."

Baker was buried at Lone Mountain Cemetery.