Jane Baker 1914-2009
Note from Oct. 10: A memorial service will be held at 11: a.m. Friday Oct. 16, at Chiles-Laman Funeral Home, Bluffton. Rev. Bruce Steinhard officiating. Friends may visit with the family following the service at the funeral home.
Jane Miller Baker, 95, a lifetime resident of Bluffton passed away at 1:05 a.m., Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 at Mennonite Memorial Home, Bluffton, Ohio. She was born March 19, 1914, in Lima to Charles and Bertha Amstutz Miller. She met her future husband, Arden R. Baker when he was a student at Bluffton College. They were married Sept. 25, 1936, and were married 46 years until his death on May 13, 1982.
Mrs. Baker was a homemaker. She was a life-long member of St. John's United Church of Christ, Bluffton. She was also a member of Alpha Gamma, Order of Eastern Star, multiple bridge clubs and enjoyed knitting and quilting. She was a graduate of Bluffton High School where she was an accomplished athlete and valedictorian of her high school class. She had attended Bluffton College. Mrs. Baker spent the last years of her life in the care of Maplecrest of Mennonite Home Communities and Mennonite Memorial Home both in Bluffton.
Surviving are six children Dr. Keith Arden (Carol Ewald) Baker of Heber City, Utah, Dr. Elaine Baker of Huntington, West Virginia, Charles Allen (Carla Lind) Baker of Hamilton, Ohio, Mary Jane (William) Gavin of Corvallis, Oregon, Anita Jean Ryan of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Margaret (William) Mann of The Woodlands, Texas; four grandchildren Nicholas Baker, Jennifer (Ken) Willoughby, Amy Mann and Kara Mann; a brother James F. Miller; a sister Christine Wenger; and over 100 nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews.
She was preceded in death by a son-in-law Kenneth Ryan and two sisters Kathleen Wenger and Margaret Brauen.
A memorial service will be held at a later time.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. John's United Church of Christ or the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are under the direction of Chiles-Laman Funeral Home, Bluffton.
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Saturday, October 17, 2026
Friday, October 16, 2026
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- October 16 Bluffton Schools athletics lineup, streaming
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Thursday, October 15, 2026
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- Prairie seeding activity at Bluffton University, October 24
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- Results for 5K on October 2, Bluffton University Homecoming event
- 15 minutes with Sherry Miller, senior center activities coordinator
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
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- CANCELLED Main St. closure on October 15
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Tuesday, October 13, 2026
- Ada Icon headlines, October 13
- Bluffton area Women in Business meeting October 15
- Leo club glasses collection
- Night at the (Swiss Historical) Museum, October 24
- Woodcarving ornament workshop at Swiss Heritage Center
- Barefoot nature walks at the Nature Preserve
- Pirate volleyball seeded 4th
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