Donna Baker, 1947-2014

Published 10:01 am Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Donna Mae Evelyn (VonRuden) Baker of Owatonna died Monday, May 26, 2014, at Medford Senior Care in Medford. She was 67.

Donna Baker

Donna Baker

Donna was born in Owatonna on May 6, 1947, the daughter of Hugo and Evelyn (Elsner) VonRuden. She was baptized June 15, 1947, at Presbyterian Church in Claremont. She grew up in Claremont.

On March 12, 1966, she was united in marriage to Stanley Baker in Albert Lea. She lived in the Albert Lea area with her husband from 1966 until 1985. Donna was a stay-at-home housewife and mother.

Email newsletter signup

Donna moved to Owatonna in 1985. She lived there for 27 years. Health problems moved her to Medford Senior Care.

Donna enjoyed watching TV movies and visiting with family and friends, doing puzzles and word find books.

She is survived by her daughter, Brenda (special friend, Jeff Hagen) Baker, of Manchester; granddaughter, Grace Lynn (Stinehart) Baker, of Albert Lea; brothers William VonRuden of Brainerd and Lloy VonRuden of Claremont; sisters Betty (Pirkl) Torrez of Owatonna, Margie (Roger) Pedley of Motley, Norma (Don) Bissen of Owatonna and Marlys Paul of Litchfield; there are several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews; sisters-in-law Virginia (VonRuden) Huemann of Owatonna and Donna (Baker) (Edwin) Hansen of Independence, Mo.; and brothers-in-law Jerry Paul, Martin Torrez and Jim Pirkl.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents; parents Hugo and Evelyn (Elsner) VonRuden; brother, Harold VonRuden; husband, Stanley Baker; son, Raymond Baker; sisters-in-law Pearl VonRuden and Susan VonRuden; and mother-in-law, Loretta Baker.