Erma Tew Baker April 16, 1928 - December 18, 2020

Erma Tew Baker was born April 16, 1928. She passed away, at age 92, on Friday, December 18, 2020, in Lehi, Utah, of natural causes incident to age.

She was born in Nephi, Utah, the fifth child of John Ivan and Ellen LaVelle Ockey Tew. She grew up in Nephi during the Great Depression and WWII, from which she learned to sacrifice, work hard and be frugal. She graduated from Juab High School, then attended Snow College and BYU. It was at Snow College that she met her sweetheart, Guy Taft Baker. After a four-year courtship, during which they both served missions to the New England States Mission, they were sealed for Time and Eternity in the Manti LDS Temple on April 25, 1953. Into this union came 5 children: 3 girls and 2 boys.

Erma was an excellent homemaker; her homes were always spotless and beautifully decorated, and her cooking was wonderful. She knew how to stretch a dollar and made almost everything from scratch. She sewed clothes for her children and taught her daughters to sew. She supported her husband through his military service, dental, and orthodontic school, and spent many long hours typing up Guy’s master’s thesis. She took care of her elderly father, who suffered from dementia, for 10 years.

Erma was talented in many areas. She wrote beautiful poetry through the years and when her children were older, she took piano and art lessons, becoming proficient in both. Her many oil paintings have become prized possessions of her posterity. While it was always their plan to return to Utah after dental school, she and Guy ended up living in San Francisco, Riverside, and Escondido, California, for 38 years. They were so happy to be able to return home to Utah, when they retired. They lived in Woodland Hills until Guy’s passing in 2013.

Erma lost her last child, Richard, at birth, a tragic chapter of her life. She carried on, mothering her four living children and partially raised two additional boys: Richard Wood, now deceased, through the Lamanite Placement Program for 9 years; and Keith Davis, who joined the family at 17, becoming a beloved member of the family. Her nurturing gift continued as she blessed the lives of her grandchildren. She was known as “a lover of little children,” and her loving influence is interwoven in the tapestry of her grandchildren’s lives.

Erma was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, taught her family the gospel, served in many callings through the years, and sent four of her children on missions. One of her favorite callings, which she shared with Guy, was with the Young Single Adults, where she was a successful gatherer and matchmaker. She also served as a leader in Lambda Delta Sigma in San Diego. After retirement, she and Guy served a mission in the Ohio Cleveland Mission, where they were assigned to Kirtland, and gave tours to thousands in the Newell K. Whitney Store. Their mission experience was a highlight in their lives.

The family loved to camp, which they did often. Guy and Erma always had an RV so they could travel and camp in comfort. They also loved to travel and made trips around many parts of the US, as well as Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Germany, Austria, England, Mexico and Central America.

Erma began showing signs of dementia in her late 70’s and we lost her, piece-by-piece, over the next nearly 15 years. Her sweetheart, Guy, passed away in 2013, and she pined for him every day. When it became apparent that she could no longer care for herself, she moved to assisted living and then memory care where she lived for the last six years. She was loved by the staff and residents and spent her days searching the facility for ways to be helpful. While her mind deteriorated, her body remained strong and we jokingly called her “the Energizer Bunny” because of her ability to “keep going and going.”  Her legacy for her posterity is one of unconditional love, service, hard work, sacrifice and an unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Guy; her parents and five siblings; and her stillborn son, Richard. She is survived by her sister, Mary Johnson; and her children: Becky Davies (Jim), Lori Walker (Ray), Brad Baker (Angie), Keith Davis (Julia), and Karen McBeth (Kent); 25 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren, with a great-granddaughter on the way.

The family would like to thank the staff of Covington Senior Living, especially MedTechs McCall, Emma, Amber, and Cassie; and also, Desiree, from A Plus Hospice for their tender and loving care of our mother, especially in her last days.

The funeral will be Saturday, January 16, 2021, at 10 a.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 587 South 100 West, Payson. Interment will be at Vine Bluff Cemetery in Nephi, Utah, where she will be buried next to her Sweetheart, Guy. The funeral can be viewed, live, on YouTube. Please return to this page on Saturday, January 16, 2021, just prior to the service,  for the link.