Janice Baker

Janice D. Baker was truly a beautiful woman. Not only did she have grace and loveliness in her appearance, she also had a beautiful way of looking at the world. In every word and action, Janice shared her love and compassion with her family and friends, the people who brought extraordinary joy into her life.

Janice was born into an exciting decade in our nation’s history. The 1950s witnessed America stride confidently from the ashes of World War II into a new age of prosperity. It was in these times of progress that Americans discovered the proximity of the suburbs, the convenience of dishwashers and the swinging sounds of rock and roll. Janice Darlene Clark entered these changing times on January 24, 1959, the youngest of six children born to Charles and Norma (Loughney) Clark of Hamilton, Ohio.

Charles earned a living working for General Motors and later moved his family to Vicksburg, Michigan, when his job was transferred to the Kalamazoo Plant of GM. Aside from his day job, Charles also ran a small farm. It was in the small community of Vicksburg that Janice grew up and attended the area schools, graduating from Vicksburg High School in 1977. In her early 30s, Janice returned to school at Davenport College and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting in 1994.

A true hopeless romantic, Janice knew in her heart when she met John Baker that he was her one and only soul mate. Their meeting was purely coincidental, but John kept the spark of romance burning by making himself available to help her as much as possible. He did this by being a handyman – repairing her car, fixing things around her house. After a whirlwind romance of only a month and a half, John and Janice were united as one in marriage on June 18, 1999, at the Centerville courthouse. A truly happy woman, Janice often told her beloved John “Being with you is just like heaven.” Janice had a daughter, Sarahjo, who brought even more joy into Janice’s life. She treasured her marriage and the birth of her daughter as the two happiest days of her life. The death of her three babies brought her such sadness that it made her treasure her present family all the more.

Janice was forever thinking about the welfare of others. Although she would have loved to be a consummate stay at home mom to her daughter Sarah, Janice balanced hard work with being a loving mother and wife, in order to provide the best for her family. Janice was also a very loving Aunt and you could tell this just by the way her Nieces and Nephews called her "Aunt Jannie". From working as a bookkeeper in a church office and babysitting to volunteering at local churches with their Vacation Bible Schools, Janice’s passion was to help people. And no matter what the task at hand was, she put her heart and soul into every job.

Ultimately, however, John and Janice had a dream for their future together. Their dream included combining both of their artistic talents, John as a woodworker and Janice with her creativity in crafts, and work during the winter months building/creating their masterpieces. Then, in the summer months, they would take to the road, traveling around the country to various flea markets selling their creations. Their desire was to buy a big motor home in which to travel to places like Frankenmuth, Michigan, Virginia and even out west.

In the meantime, they simply enjoyed their time together playing cards and dominos, watching television, especially HGTV with its woodworking shows such as This Old House and New Yankee Workshop, perhaps getting some ideas for their own creations. Janice liked to watch the Lifetime Channel, but occasionally gave John control of the remote to watch reruns of Gunsmoke. Since John was a practical joker, Janice had to have a good sense of humor when he decided to pull one over on her. Always big hearted, Janice had a real soft spot for animals, especially dogs. Currently, she had two Rat Terriers named Button and Blue Boy, but Button was getting ready to expand the family by having puppies within the week. She also had a Black Lab named Beauty and a Chihuahua named Bambi.

Janice Clark was a thoughtful and caring lady who derived great pleasure from sharing her kindness with others. Family and friends will remember Janice not for the things she did, but for the reason she did them. She was truly a ray of sunshine for those close enough to receive the gift of her warmth.

Janice Darlene Clark Baker, age 46, of Three Rivers, MI, died on Friday, March 25, 2005. Members of her family include her husband, John Baker; her daughter, Sarahjo Clark; her parents, Charles and Norma Clark of Vicksburg; brothers and sisters: Richard Lee Clark of Vicksburg, Norma Jean and her husband Dale Stocks of Mansfield, OH, Shirley Ann and her husband Charlie Pierce of Pilot Point, TX, Charlene and her husband Lance Parish of Plainwell, Pamela and her husband Richard Johnson of Spence, IN. Other members of her family include John’s children: Charles and Cindy Baker of Warsaw, OH, Anne Baker of Coshocton OH, Joe and Debbie Baker of White Pigeon, and 2 grandchildren, Brittney and Saundra.

Learn more about Janice’s life, view her life story film and visit with her family and friends on Thursday, March 31, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the RDMG Life Story Funeral Home, Vicksburg Chapel. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 1, at the funeral home. Janice will be buried in the Vicksburg Cemetery next to her daughter, Norma Marie Clark, who preceded her in death in 1997. Please visit Janice’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may archive a favorite memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to a charity of your choice.