1924
Evelyn
2011
Evelyn Marie Baij
May 4, 1924 — April 16, 2011
Munising
Evelyn Marie Baij, age 86, of 314 E. Onota Street, Munising, died early Saturday evening, April 16, 2011 at the Tendercare Health Center in Munising. She was born in the family farmhouse on May 4, 1924 in Skandia, Michigan to the late Axel and Hilda (Nyman) Anderson as the sixth of seven children and the only girl. Evelyn remembered growing up during the Depression as "Not being too bad because they lived on the farm and Dad was the Postmaster." One of Evelyn's farm chores was to pull daises from the field because the cows didn't like them. She attended school in Skandia and graduated from Graveraet High School in Marquette in 1942. After graduation she worked in Detroit for a while where she learned to fly an airplane. She later renewed her learning experience of flying in the 1980's back in Munising.
Evelyn worked at Atlas Plywood in Munising and met her soul mate Harry Austin Baij. They were married on June 6, 1947 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Skandia and together they raised their four children. Austin preceded her in death on March 26, 2006 and Evelyn missed him every day since. The two of them bought their home at 314 E. Onota Street in 1950 and Evelyn lived there until she moved to Tendercare in October of 2009. She worked at many places over the years: Pangborn Cleaners, Health Haven, Superior Shores, Hartho, and when Austin began working for the state as a social worker, Evelyn took over operating Baij's Rainbow Bar until they sold it in 1977. Evelyn's favorite job was her daycare she ran from her home for over ten years starting in 1983.
Evelyn enjoyed spending time at the at their camp at Ostrander Lake, family gatherings, looking for firewood with Austin, cooking, sewing, quilting, and they always enjoyed their "Happy Hours" with a beer and the Swedish toast "Skol". In Evelyn's later years, she enjoyed "watching" the evening "bad" news especially after she lost her sight to macular degeneration. She also enjoyed her time at the "Club" through Alger Commission on Aging, where she would always be the first to offer to say Grace before lunch, both at the Club and at Tendercare. She was a faithful member of Eden Lutheran Church where she was a Sunday School teacher, Altar Guild Member, and involved in the Peace Circle and women's group (WELCA). Evelyn also belonged to the Eastern Star, DAV Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary, Moose Lodge, Rebekah Lodge, and Lioness Club. She was an important and special individual, generous, friendly, and welcoming to those she encountered with an ageless and inspiring spirit. From Evelyn, we could learn much about life, how to love, who to become, and how to enjoy it all the while.
Evelyn is survived by four children - Trudy (Richard) Feddersen of Ellington, CT, Harry (Renee Choquette) Baij, Jr. of Anchorage, AK, Fred (Georgie) Baij of Marquette, and Brenda (Tom) St. Martin of Munising; five grandchildren - Allison (Eric) Haugen of Lakeville, MN, Nathan (Jaime) Baij of Avondale, AZ, Anna (Sean) St. Peter of Portage, MI, Luke St. Martin of Phoenix, AZ and Lynn St. Martin of Grand Canyon, AZ; four great-grandchildren - Elise, Blake, Halle and Shane; brother - Herb Anderson of Marquette; sister-in-law - Phoebe Anderson of Sparta; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of over fifty-six years Austin, five brothers Eddie, Carl, John, Bill and Ernie, and grandson Bryan Purden.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 from 9:30 until 11:00 a.m. at the Eden Lutheran Church. Her funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Eden and interment will be at the Maple Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donation in Evelyn's name may be made to the Eden Lutheran Church or Alger Commission on Aging. A special thanks to the staff at Tendercare and Alger Commission on Aging for the care they gave Evelyn.
Evelyn Marie Baij, age 86, of 314 E. Onota Street, Munising, died early Saturday evening, April 16, 2011 at the Tendercare Health Center in Munising. She was born in the family farmhouse on May 4, 1924 in Skandia, Michigan to the late Axel and Hilda (Nyman) Anderson as the sixth of seven children and the only girl. Evelyn remembered growing up during the Depression as "Not being too bad because they lived on the farm and Dad was the Postmaster." One of Evelyn's farm chores was to pull daises from the field because the cows didn't like them. She attended school in Skandia and graduated from Graveraet High School in Marquette in 1942. After graduation she worked in Detroit for a while where she learned to fly an airplane. She later renewed her learning experience of flying in the 1980's back in Munising.
Evelyn worked at Atlas Plywood in Munising and met her soul mate Harry Austin Baij. They were married on June 6, 1947 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Skandia and together they raised their four children. Austin preceded her in death on March 26, 2006 and Evelyn missed him every day since. The two of them bought their home at 314 E. Onota Street in 1950 and Evelyn lived there until she moved to Tendercare in October of 2009. She worked at many places over the years: Pangborn Cleaners, Health Haven, Superior Shores, Hartho, and when Austin began working for the state as a social worker, Evelyn took over operating Baij's Rainbow Bar until they sold it in 1977. Evelyn's favorite job was her daycare she ran from her home for over ten years starting in 1983.
Evelyn enjoyed spending time at the at their camp at Ostrander Lake, family gatherings, looking for firewood with Austin, cooking, sewing, quilting, and they always enjoyed their "Happy Hours" with a beer and the Swedish toast "Skol". In Evelyn's later years, she enjoyed "watching" the evening "bad" news especially after she lost her sight to macular degeneration. She also enjoyed her time at the "Club" through Alger Commission on Aging, where she would always be the first to offer to say Grace before lunch, both at the Club and at Tendercare. She was a faithful member of Eden Lutheran Church where she was a Sunday School teacher, Altar Guild Member, and involved in the Peace Circle and women's group (WELCA). Evelyn also belonged to the Eastern Star, DAV Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary, Moose Lodge, Rebekah Lodge, and Lioness Club. She was an important and special individual, generous, friendly, and welcoming to those she encountered with an ageless and inspiring spirit. From Evelyn, we could learn much about life, how to love, who to become, and how to enjoy it all the while.
Evelyn is survived by four children - Trudy (Richard) Feddersen of Ellington, CT, Harry (Renee Choquette) Baij, Jr. of Anchorage, AK, Fred (Georgie) Baij of Marquette, and Brenda (Tom) St. Martin of Munising; five grandchildren - Allison (Eric) Haugen of Lakeville, MN, Nathan (Jaime) Baij of Avondale, AZ, Anna (Sean) St. Peter of Portage, MI, Luke St. Martin of Phoenix, AZ and Lynn St. Martin of Grand Canyon, AZ; four great-grandchildren - Elise, Blake, Halle and Shane; brother - Herb Anderson of Marquette; sister-in-law - Phoebe Anderson of Sparta; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of over fifty-six years Austin, five brothers Eddie, Carl, John, Bill and Ernie, and grandson Bryan Purden.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 from 9:30 until 11:00 a.m. at the Eden Lutheran Church. Her funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Eden and interment will be at the Maple Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donation in Evelyn's name may be made to the Eden Lutheran Church or Alger Commission on Aging. A special thanks to the staff at Tendercare and Alger Commission on Aging for the care they gave Evelyn.
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