Constance Lea "Connie" Baker

After a life dedicated to serving the Lord, raising her children, and spoiling her grandkids, Connie Baker is finally at peace in the arms of her savior Jesus Christ.Connie was born in Lewistown, Montana and spent most of her youth helping her parents on different ranches at which they were employed. She developed a life long love of horses - especially her pony Queenie.Growing up, Connie was closest to her beloved grandma, Caroline Stilson. Not only did Connie spend a lot of time learning homemaking and gardening skills at Grandma Caroline's skilled hands, these two also set up house together during Connie's college days and spent several months living together in Florida while they both worked at NASA - Connie as a secretary.Connie married Chico (Robert) Horvath in 1969. They were blessed with two children, Jerad and Julia. It was with great sadness that Connie, Jerad, Julia and the Paradise Valley community lost Chico in 1978 due to a plane crash. Connie bravely carried on as a single mother, raising her two children, running the farm, working at Arrowhead School and attending Montana State University, where she obtained her degrees in Education and English.In 1983 Connie married Ed Baker, who became the father to Jerad and Julia that they so much wanted and needed. Connie and Ed enjoyed traveling together, skiing and going to The Cabin. After a few years, they bought a house on the north side of Livingston, where they lived for several years before they sold that house and built a log home on their remaining acreage. In 2003 Connie and Ed moved to Hamilton, MT to be near Jerad's family and spend time with his growing children.Ed passed away from a lifelong heart condition in 2009. Shortly after, Connie returned to Livingston to be near Julia and her family and also to rejoin her beloved church family. She bought a cute little house on the outskirts of town from which she never tired of watching the neighbors herd of 30 horses. During these retirement years, Connie delighted in going to the Shane Center to see Andrew and Cameron perform in plays, hearing stories of Braden's adventures and work and getting to see Makayla begin her new life as the mother of Kinsleigh.In her last years, Julia and Connie spent a great deal of time together working, visiting and going on trips. She was also finally given the time to make all the quilts that she had been longing to do. Many a beloved friend of her grandchildren received a quilt as a gift and most family members have one with which to remember her by. Just before she became too ill to carry on, Connie finally finished a beautiful, entirely hand sewn quilt she had been working on for Jerad for 25 years. Connie fought her cancer battle bravely but finally went to stay home for good in April where she was joined by her daughter and son until her final day.Connie was an artist, a gourmet baker, a gifted home designer, a good and loyal friend, a generous patron, an unfailing reader of books, and a magician at the art of entertaining small children.She was preceded in death by her dear great-grandmother, Caroline Stilson; father, Gordon Irish; mother, Margaret Irish; first husband, Chico Horvath; and second husband, Ed Baker.She is survived by her siblings David (Bedee) Irish, Karoll (Ron) Taylor, Rachel (John) Irish and Jennifer Irish. She is also survived by her children Jerad Horvath and Julia (Shawn) Reichert; and the ones she will miss so dearly and loved beyond measure, her grandchildren: Andrew Reichert, Cameron Reichert, Braden Horvath, Makayla Horvath, Kinsleigh Martin, Sarah Baker, Ryder Tafur, Olivia Tafur, Creedance Kondash, Lydia Baker, Hunter Baker and Hannah Baker.We would also wish to remember and thank her devoted friends who never stopped helping her in the end - Carolyn Koontz, Lora Maxwell and Debbie Irish. A very special and heartfelt thank-you to Connie's devoted sister, Rachel Long, and her three grandchildren, Lucy, Emma and JT Cleveland, who came every single week to see her and lift her spirits! It meant so much.If you would like to remember Connie by giving a gift, please send your donations to Living Hope Church, 226 S. Third St., Livingston, MT 59047.Services will be held at Shorthill Cemetery at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 24, followed by a luncheon at noon at Living Hope Church located at 226 S. Third in Livingston.Shorthill Cemetery is located south of Pine Creek on the East River Road. The address is 175 McDonald Creek Rd.