Leland "Lee" C. Baker

Jul. 14, 1940 - May 23, 2020

Date of Service: May 30, 2020

BURLEY – Leland “Lee” C. Baker, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on Saturday, May 23, 2020, at the age of 79.

Lee was born on July 14, 1940, to Wade and Afton Baker in Rupert, Idaho. Lee grew up helping his father, Wade, on the family farm south of Burley, along with six brothers and his sister; their names: Larry, Shirlene, Duane, Ronnie, Dennis, Rell and Loren. The family loved their horses. The kids would chew up big wads of bubble gum and give it to Old Socks who would chew on it for hours. Babe liked to throw the kids into haystacks and brush them off going under pasture fences. Larry and Lee welcomed the challenges with Babe.

He and his brothers loved to play jokes on their dad. While helping him manufacture the “Wade’s Way” manure spreaders, they would put tools in the pipes and weld them shut. Lee, Larry, and Duane were always full of tease. Lee especially loved to tease his sister, Shirlene, whom he was also very protective of. They went on several double dates in their teenage years. The kids were involved in the traveling roadshows that were put on by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in those days. Shirlene remembers one year, dancing with Lee dressed as “Abraham Lincoln”. Lee and his brothers worked horse teams and Lee, Duane, and Ronnie enjoyed drag-racing in Pocatello.

Lee graduated high school in 1958, and continued to work the 5,000-acre farm with his dad and brothers for the next 20 years. During that time, he drove truck for Safeway and Handy Truck Line and began working as a heavy-equipment operator with Hoffbuhr Excavation. He valued hard work and family.

Lee married his love, Sherry Ann Barlow, on March 27, 1959, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Over the next eight years, “Baker” and Sherry welcomed five beautiful children: Brenda, Carla, Monica, Brad and Scott (deceased in 1980).

Around 1966, Lee, Darrel “Pee Wee” Goodnight and John Struchen founded the Mini-Cassia Sheriff’s Search & Rescue team and he served as volunteer Reserved Deputy for 20+ years. He served as Commander twice, was involved in many search and rescue efforts and enjoyed quiet service to his community.

Lee became well known for his skills with heavy equipment and was requested on several occasions for help on special projects. He volunteered his time and talents when the Teton dam broke in 1976, and spent four weeks working on the clean-up crew in the Rexburg area. He was also an integral resource in helping the community build the two-canal project that helped alleviate the pressure from the Oakley dam during the Oakley Reservoir disaster in 1983.
In his many years with Hoffbuhr and Search & Rescue he made lifelong friendships with Vern and Bud Hoffbuhr, Darrel “Pee Wee” Goodnight, Terry Bingham, and John Struchen. They had many, many adventures together.

Lee loved to fly, and over the years, owned a red-and-white Cessna 172, and a cream-and-maroon Enstrom Shark helicopter. He jumped at the opportunity to share his love of flying with his family. Many remember flying over the farm to watch water patterns and check crops. He flew his nephew and prom date to prom in his helicopter one year and made quite a splash. At that time, he was one of the only pilots ever to survive an auto-rotation landing in the dark. He also loved his GMC pick-ups “Ugly” and “Double-Ugly” full of CB’s and first-generation pick-up phones.

Lee enjoyed his membership with the Rupert Elks. His daughters have many fond memories of daddy-daughter dances, Shirley Temples, and the bowling alley. Lee’s son, Brad, loved to work the farm with “Pop-a-son” and has wonderful memories learning to navigate the fields and work the equipment, drive truck, split shifts and take pride in his work.

Lee is survived by his wife, Sherry Barlow Baker; his siblings, Larry (Radean) Baker of Rupert, Shirlene (LaMont) Andersen, Duane (Linda) Baker, Ronnie (Mary) Baker, Rell (Sanie) Baker, and sister-in-law, Janette Baker (Loren - deceased) all of Burley; his children, Brenda (Mark) Mortensen of Rupert, Carla (Robert) Hennefer of Carey, Monica Baker of Burley, and Brad (Lane) Baker of Heyburn; 7 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his son, Scott W Baker; his parents, Wade and Afton; and his brothers, Dennis and Loren.

The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Klett; Dr. Boehmer and staff, Dr. Rae, Dr. Millar; Intermountain Health & Hospice staff members Tiffany, Ilene, Kay, Wanda, Carrie, and Wendy; Ryan at Vista Care; the Star First Ward Bishopric and Relief Society; and Morey’s Steakhouse.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 30, at Pleasant View Cemetery, 1645 E. 16th, St., in Burley. Prior to the graveside service there will be a visitation for friends and family from 9 until 10:30 a.m. at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley. All services will be held in accordance with state-mandated social distancing precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Humanitarian fund.