Ardis LaBrant Baker, 78

Ardis LaBrant Baker, 78, passed away from a brief illness at her home on Nov. 4, 2024, with her daughter, Lynette, and son-in-law, Zak, by her side. 

She was born on Aug. 8, 1946, to Duane and Virginia LaBrant in Sanish, North Dakota. At the age of 1, the family moved to the Flathead Valley and settled in Creston. She attended the rural Creston School for her grade school education and then Flathead County High School. Upon graduation, she continued on to Montana State University, Bozeman, where she obtained her degree in home economics in 1967. During her time at MSU, she met her future husband, Don Baker. The story was shared that she was selling donuts for her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, when they first met, as she needed a ride back to the Flathead (where he was from, too).

On Aug. 20, 1966, they were united in marriage at the Eidsvold Lutheran Church in Somers. During their early years of marriage, they lived in a few other cities in support of Don's career. After their son, Darron, was born in 1973, they decided to return to the Flathead Valley to raise their children around family. Lynette was born in 1976. Although leaving the opportunities that larger cities offer was a hard decision, being around family was ultimately more important. We enjoyed lots of holidays, Sunday dinners, many laughs and lots of stories around the dining room tables together.

Ardis returned to school to earn her teacher's certificate. She started and finished her teaching career with the Bigfork School District. She loved teaching home economics, which later evolved into health and consumer science. If you had her as a teacher, you were gifted quite a legacy. She enjoyed her students and truly enjoyed the staff she worked with daily. Through her 20-year career, she taught cooking, sewing, health, fashion merchandising, personal finance, and more. One of the biggest highlights was taking students from her fashion merchandising class from Bigfork to the bright lights and big city of New York City, where they were exposed to all things in the fashion industry, from markets to designer meetings and fashion houses to Broadway shows and much more. So much learning and experiences were packed into a week. Her teaching didn't stop in the classroom; she taught Darron and Lynette many life skills that have since been passed on to their children.

Outside of teaching, she was an active volunteer for the Violence Free Crisis Line in Kalispell. In the summer season,n she tended to a bountiful garden that provided so much food for her family throughout the year, as well as her beautiful flower beds. She always said working in the dirt was a great way to connect with God and was therapeutic too. As a lover of the sun and living minutes from Flathead Lake, many summer days you could find her with family and friends enjoying lake time and BBQs. They enjoyed traveling with Dale and Lois and other friends to Mexico and Hawaii, soaking up the sun, laughing a lot and having a cocktail or two.

In June of 1999, she and Don relocated to Prescott, Arizona, for his career with Wells Fargo Bank. They looked forward to short winters and more sunshine. She didn't continue teaching once they moved, but she did begin a new chapter in the school system by becoming the Career Center Director at Prescott High School. Once again, she dove in to give the students at PHS as many opportunities to see what was possible career-wise, not only through college, but also through the trades and military service. She enjoyed seeing her high school kids grow and evolve into their own. Outside of her school duties, she was a PEO and was a charter member of Chapter EQ. She had a heart for furthering educational opportunities for women through PEO.

After Don and Ardis decided to retire, they became snowbirds between Prescott and Somers. In the summers, they gardened, went boating and spent time with family. She had an unconditional love for her family and loved spending time with them.

Ardis was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Floyd LaBrant, Larry LaBrant, and Harlan LaBrant; her late husband, Don Baker; her son, Darron Baker; as well as her brothers-in-law, Dale Lauman, Hubert McKenzie, and sister-in-law, Betty Jellison.  

She is survived by her daughter, Lynette (Zak) Hoyt of Prescott, her daughter-in-law, Erica Baker of Henderson, Nevada, her sister, Lois Lauman, her sisters-in-law, Toni LaBrant, Nancy LaBrant and Bonnie McKenzie as well as brother-in-law, Bruce Jellison; her grandchildren, Dorien Baker of Mountain Home, Idaho, Abbigail Baker of Henderson and Harlan Hoyt of Prescott; great-grandchildren, Ethan Baker, Audrey Baker and Daniel Baker and their mother, Monique Baker all of Nampa, Idaho; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins as well.

Services are planned for July 5 at 11 a.m. at Glacier Memorial Gardens in Kalispell.