Shirley Marie Baker Givant

URGENT NOTICE: Now RESCHEDULED for MONDAY, at 11:00 A.M.December 16, 2024 due to weather.
Shirley Marie Baker Givant, a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on December 9, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 89. Born on November 9, 1935, in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada, she was the fifth child of Ernest Julius Patterson and Lela Fern Alvis Patterson.
At the age of ten, Shirley moved with her family to Truro, Iowa, where she continued her education and graduated from high school in 1952. Shortly after graduation, she married Russell Dean Baker, and together they embarked on a journey that took them to Philadelphia while he served in the military. In the fullness of their life together, they were blessed with four children: Robert, Gerald, Peggy Sue, and Kathyrn.
Upon returning to Iowa, Shirley pursued her passion for caregiving by attending nursing school in Creston. Her dedication to helping others was evident in her years of service as a nurse in Winterset and later at Broadlawns Hospital in Des Moines. She ran her own assisted living with her sister Fern for 30 years. Shirley embraced rural life and found joy in tending to her expansive gardens, embodying a no-fuss, no-frills way of life that endeared her to many. She was known for her selflessness, often putting the needs of others before her own.
Shirley's greatest joy came from her family, and she treasured the times when her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews gathered around her.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Ernest Julius Patterson and Lela Fern Alvis Patterson; her husband, Russell Dean Baker, her son, Gerald Russell Baker; her brothers, Kenneth Clifford Patterson and Ernest Patterson; her sister, Fern McCasland; her niece, Mabel McCasland; her nephew, Gary Sterling McCasland; her grandson, Casey Marean; and her brothers-in-law, DeVerne Stout, Major McCasland, and Curt Bruett.
Shirley leaves to cherish her memory; children, Robert Joseph Baker of Winterset, IA, Peggy Sue (Patrick) Schipper of Urbandale, IA, Kathyrn Marie Roberts of Winterset, IA; sisters, Helen Stout of West Des Moines, IA and Julia Bruett of Winfield, IA; grandchildren, Chad (Laura) Baker of Truro, IA, Shanda (Tim) Stovie of Urbandale, IA, Amber (Trevor) King of Van Meter, IA, Autumn (Cody) Cooper of Van Meter, IA, Nathan (Meagan) Roberts of Dallas Center, IA;, great-grandchildren, Casey Baker, Chase (Makenzie) Baker, Annabelle Baker, Lexie Hughes, Ella King, Kaylin King, Isaiah Foster, Carson Foster, Willow Cooper, Riley Cooper, Travis Cooper, Connor Roberts, Annabelle Roberts and Elizabeth Roberts, great-great grandson Colten Baker, as well as many nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
Services to honor Shirley's life will be held at 11:00 A.M., Saturday, December 14, 2024, at the Peru United Methodist Church, with Pastor Sharm Eaton officiating. The family will greet friends from 10:00 A.M. until the time of service at the church. Interment will follow at the Peru Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be directed to Kavanagh House (EveryStep Hospice), located at 56th St., Des Moines, Iowa. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.kalefuneralhome.com.
Shirley's warmth, kindness, and dedication to her family will be remembered fondly by all who knew her.