Ellen Rose Baum

ELLEN ROSE BAUM nee Mayer Ellen was born May 3, 1926 in Wuerzburg, Germany and died at home November 14, 2012 in Redlands, California from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer; Adenocarcinoma at the young age of 86. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Irving W. Baum in 1997. Ellen was a long time resident of Redlands, having settled here with her husband in 1955. Ellen earned a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Queens College in New York, where she also played collegiate basketball. She had worked for a photographic studio under Eisenstadt, Reader's Digest, Gems and Minerals Magazine and General Dynamics. She was active in animal rescue, environmental conservation and the protection of our wildlife and the preserves in which they lived. She participated in the Sierra Club, American Ex-Prisoners of War, the Democratic Club and California State Employees Association. Ellen volunteered as a Fire Lookout Host at Keller Peak, worked the phones during fires, provided road information during snow storms, facilitated for the Pet Over Population Coalition, gave 51 gallons of blood at the blood bank and donated generously to many charities. She was a patriot who flew her flag daily and often replaced the flags flying over city hall when they became tattered. She was a fixture in the neighborhood as she walked her dog daily and greeted all as friends. She shared "grandma cookies", delivered fresh baked bread, house sat for the neighbors and attended Zumba classes at the YMCA. She is survived by her son Craig D. Baum of Tucson; her three daughters Sandra L. Mayo of Moreno Valley, Valerie G. Baum-Hart of Mentone, and Rob K. Baum of Cape Town, South Africa, and six grandchildren and her dog Keller. The service for Ellen Baum will be held Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 10 AM at Riverside National Cemetery, in Staging Area 1. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) or Retrievers and Friends (http://www.retrieversandfriends.com) in memory of Ellen R. Baum.