Elaine M. Baner was born in Adams, MA, the second youngest of 6 siblings, on December 4, 1933. Elaine passed away April 13, 2021.
Elaine’s parents both immigrated to the U.S., her Mother from Germany and her Father from Scotland. Siblings surviving her are Doris Denesha and Carolyn Bouchard. Elaine married Jack W. Baner on July 6, 1954 in Springfield, MA. Jack was in the Air Force, so after their marriage they moved as Jack’s career progressed, living in Albuquerque, NM, Edwards AFB, CA, Eau Gallie, FL, Lompoc, CA, Alamogordo, NM and Layton, UT. Following Jack’s second career, they lived in Escondido, CA, finally retiring in Los Lunas, NM. Their daughters, Laurel and Melanie, were born in Springfield, MA and Edwards AFB, respectively. Elaine contributed to the household by sewing the majority of her daughters’ clothing, decorating and selling stunning cakes for special occasions, and baking, decorating and selling Marzipan cookies during the holidays. She was active in her daughters’ lives, taking interest in their education, becoming a Girl Scout Leader, Girl Scout Cookie Chairman, and instructing her daughters and their friends in the fine art of cake decorating. She and Jack also enjoyed taking previously unexplored backroads, touring the state they lived in at the time and introducing their daughters to the joys of the outdoors.
Elaine was an expert at making something great out of nothing at all. Both daughters still marvel at some of those fondest memories, ie: making a Pineapple Upside Down Cake on an open fire, using a Christmas Card from the previous year to free-hand draw on the living room window, painting it with poster colors, and drawing and crafting wooden, life-sized Santa’s Elves to display in the front yard. As the girls grew, they too joined in these activities. Her cake decorating skills and sewing expertise have been passed from generation to generation.
Elaine was a humble person who took great pride in her home and was both Mom and sometimes Dad, household accountant, decorator and landscaper when Jack had to travel with the Air Force.
Elaine will be dearly missed by her husband of 67 years, Jack, her daughters, Laurel and Melanie, grandchildren Kristine, Jonathan, Lindsay, Devon, Kelley, Jessie, and Rachel. Her great grandchildren number 14: Tylor, Katie, Kierstin, Autumn, Gabrielle, Josiah, Rebecca, Aaron, Hunter, Shaun, Wyatt, Seth, Noah, and Alison. She has one great-great granddaughter, Clarissa, as well as grandchildren through marriage: Dena, Cassandra and Jeremy and great grandchildren Cody, Cloey, Samaria, T.J., Rodney, and D’Montrae, and one great-great grandson Howie, also through marriage.
Services for Elaine will be on April 26th, at Smith Funeral Home, 1208 S Main St, Sapulpa, OK 74066. She will be interred at Ft Gibson National Cemetery, Ft Gibson, OK.
