Eleanor Marie Baker

Eleanor Marie Baker, 96, a longtime resident of Corvallis passed away peacefully on November 18 in Albany. Eleanor was the third of 10 children born to George Kasten and Louise Bindel. From the time of birth throughout her youth she lived in Carlsbad, New Mexico. She loved to swim and spend endless hours outdoors with her brother and sisters. She graduated from Carlsbad High in 1944. Along with two younger sisters Mary and Irene, she traveled to California to visit their sister Cecilia. During this time, the Kastens decided to move to Oregon. Eleanor never returned to her childhood home. As World War II ended, the family settled for a brief time in Sublimity and then in Corvallis where she would reside for the next 78 years. On April 12,1950 Eleanor Kasten married her beloved Martin Henry Baker, Jr. They worked together on their dairy farm located on Grant Street. As development encroached, they built a new home on a creek side farm in east Corvallis. The Kasten siblings all remained in Oregon and cherished their close family ties. On Saturday evenings after church, the nearby sisters would gather at Eleanor and Martin’s home to engage in rivalrous games of Mexican Train. She and Martin lived a tranquil life surrounded by flora and fauna. They delighted in the seasonal bounty of their land and the variety of animal friends who visited often. Eleanor embraced her surname and was renowned for her skills as a “Baker”. Although fruitcakes have a questionable reputation, this family eagerly awaited her signature treat each Christmas. There will never be another like it nor another soul as sweet as hers. Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband in 2016, her brother Lloyd Kasten, sisters Cecilia Hansford, Patricia Weder, Irene Birkholz and Mary Breitenstein. She is survived by her sisters Frances Rohner and Rosella Blye of Albany, Carole Graham and her husband Jim of Happy Valley, Linda Klein and her husband Ron of Redmond, 31 nieces and nephews and many more great nieces and nephews. Eleanor was especially held dear by her nephew Bob Hallock and nieces Lisa Graham and Nancy Ellis who brought cheer and comfort to her in later years. In her honor, a rosary and mass will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on December 6 at 12:30 p.m. She will lie at rest in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery next to Martin.

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Eleanor Marie Baker

November 23, 1926 - November 18, 2023