Ruth Ellon Baker

.Ruth Ellon Baker, of Gulfport passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 19, 2018. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles L. Baker, Sr., and her parents, Doyle and Opal Shepherd. Ruth is survived by her daughter, Deborah Dubuisson and her husband Gary; her son, Charles (Chuck) Baker, Jr.; her sister, Robbie Joan Walters and her husband Evans; her granddaughter Ashley Drown Schloegel and her husband Michael, and their three children, Jack, Sophie and Lily; her granddaughter Julie Dubuisson Cotton, her husband Byron and their daughter Callie. Ruth was born in Darling, MS in 1931. She moved to the Coast with her family in 1946 and attended Gulfport High School. She spent several of her high school summers attending Stamps Baxter school of music in Dallas, Texas. She took piano lessons there and loved playing gospel concerts and took great pride in being her church’s pianist. Upon graduation, she continued on to secretarial school and was immediately hired by Leila and Wilbur Holder at Commercial Finance Company. Not only did she gain employment, but she gained a lifelong special friend in Leila. In 1950, Ruth married her high school sweetheart, Charles Baker. He worked in finance and real estate and she eventually retired and became a fulltime homemaker and mom to their two children, Debby and Chuck. When not being a mom, she loved to get dressed up, or ‘duded up’ as she called to hit the streets with her best friend, Ruth Irby. They loved to frequent Woolworth’s, Northrop’s and Triplet-Day. In 1975 Ruth became “Nana” which would be the greatest role of her life. Her granddaughter Ashley was born. For the next two decades she coached Ashley and her friends in cheer, softball, and basketball. When Nana was at the game everyone knew it, especially the referees. She never missed a game, no matter how far away it was, she was there. Nana was Ashley’s number one fan. She was also everybody’s grandmother. She loved so much about life. She loved ‘ALL MY CHILDREN’, she didn’t miss an episode for 30 years. She loved her Friday 1:00 hair appointment...God Bless Maxine, Jerry, and Ramona-the only three people that were allowed to touch her hair. She loved Christmas, the Atlanta Braves, The Glenn Miller Band, Gospel Elvis and casino crab legs. And she loved her younger sister Jo. They had a special bond and never lived further than 4 blocks from one another. When Nana wasn’t taking out displays and employees at Target on her scooter, you could always find her doing an illegal U-turn to cut in line at McDonald’s. Everybody else in the land was to circle the building, except her...she devised a way to cut and she never lost a battle with the concrete barrier. The world is a little less funny today. She kept us on our toes and we are forever grateful for that. Thank you ALL for loving her and we promise she will be rooting and cheering for each of you from Heaven. In keeping with the Christmas spirit, and with one last wish for our sweet Nana, may you “Sleep In Heavenly Peace”. A private graveside service will be held. Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport is in charge of arrangements.