Wannell Baker, a former resident of the Gila Valley, passed away on Feb. 26, 2022, in La Veta, Colorado. She was born in Safford, Arizona, to Oren Anderson and Faye Waddell.
Wannell married her husband, Chester, in September of 1970, where she gained her two daughters, Debie and Phyllis. She and Chester lived in Arizona until 1986, at that time they moved to Grants, New Mexico. They both loved to socialize, show their horses, bowl, dance, and get together with friends and family. After a battle with illness, they moved Wannell to Colorado to be with her daughter, Phyllis, until she went home to be with the Lord.
Wannell cherished the family ranch; she spent a lot of time with her grandparents on the ranch branding, riding, and round-ups. Her passion was horses, Wannell raised and showed Appaloosas, and they took many prizes for their horses. She loved to cook and bake all kinds of goodies, being around family and friends, dancing, and stopping at off-the-wall attractions when traveling, anywhere she could shop for items that you didn’t see every day.
Wannell is preceded in death by her mother, Faye Forehand; stepfather, Jimmy Forehand; father, Oren Anderson; grandmother, Pearl Waddell; grandfather, “Babe” Waddell; mother-in-law, Ida Wrey Middleton “Sissy”; husband, Chester Baker, and son-in-law, Lawrance “B.C.” Wells.
Wannell is survived by her step-daughters, Debra Wells and Phyllis Bolin (Lonnie Bolin); grandchildren, Timothy Burkholder (Mikki), Christopher Wells, Nathan Bolin, Shannon Brooks (Clay), Amanda Kemp (Christopher); 12 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
A graveside service will be held on Friday, March 4, at the Sheldon Cemetery at 9 a.m.
Local arrangements are being cared for by McDougal’s Caldwell Funeral Chapel & Gila Valley Crematory located at 112 E. Main St., Safford, Arizona, 85546, 928-428-1740, www.caldwellfuneralchapel.com.
