Carol Jean Baird

Carol Jean (Wiley) Baird, age 81, of Katy, Texas, joined our Heavenly Father on Saturday, December 1, 2018. Carol was born on September 12, 1937 in Sac City, Iowa to Marvin and Ethel (Gerken) Wiley. She grew up in Sac City with her three brothers, Michael, Dennis and Alan. Carol had a very special 75-year friendship with several of her hometown classmates. They all started Kindergarten in 1943 and graduated from high school together. Although they ended up in different parts of the country, their friendships endured, and they vacationed together in London, Arkansas and Santa Fe, to name a few. Carol sent birthday cards every year, called often to check in and made each one of them feel like they were her best friend. She was truly loved and will be missed by all her lifelong best friends. Carol met the love of her life, Neil Wayne Baird, in Corpus Christi, Texas, who she married on August 29, 1958. They were blessed with two children, Leanne and Stacy. She was a wonderful mother who always supported her girls in any activity they wanted to pursue including playing the piano, taking ballet lessons, cheerleading and playing football. In 1976, Carol and her family moved to McNeill, Mississippi, where they lived for 34 years enjoying the quiet country life, growing vegetables in their garden and developing friendships that we still cherish today. Carol was a Certified Professional Landman, a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen, and worked in the oil and gas industry for over 40 years. She retired from Great River Oil and Gas Corporation in 1996. Carol loved her family and friends, especially her grandson, Garrett, who had many sleepovers with his "Memaw", playing cards and eating French Toast. She also loved watching Iowa Hawkeye football with her father and brothers and LSU football with her daughter, Stacy. She enjoyed fussing over her hibiscus and African violets, reading, playing cards and doing the daily Jumble with her daughter, Leanne. Carol's friends and family have described her as being a wonderful mother, a great lady, a great friend, spunky, feisty, funny, caring, loving, generous, thoughtful and "simply the best". She will be remembered as the most unique gal who loved her family "to the moon and back". Survivors include her daughter, Leanne Reid and husband, Mark; daughter, Stacy Rojas; grandson, Garrett Reid; brothers, Michael (Barbara) Wiley of Antigo, Wisconsin, Dennis (Merry Echo) Wiley of Des Moines, Iowa, and Alan (Beth) Wiley of Prior Lake, Minnesota. Carol is preceded in death by her husband, Neil and her parents, Marvin and Ethel Wiley. There will be a funeral service on Friday, January 11, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at Houston National Cemetery Chapel, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77038. Following the service there will be a Celebration of Life at Golf Club at Cinco Ranch 23030 Cinco Ranch Blvd., Katy, Texas 77450. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made in Carol's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at fundraising.stjude.org. Select "Find a Participant" then type in Carol Baird. Arrangements have been entrusted to Claire Brothers Funeral Home, 7901 Hillcroft Street, Houston, Texas 77081.