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Cindy Baker, 76, of Clearfield, passed away peacefully Aug. 13, 2025. A celebration of Cindy’s life will be held starting at 11 a.m. with serving to begin at noon, Nov. 8, at the Lenox Community Center. Food, sides, drinks and dessert will be provided. Please join us in celebrating Cindy with laughter and stories as we grieve the passing of this wonderful woman.
Memorials may be directed to the family, with plans to donate to the Family and Consumer Sciences departments at Lenox High School and Mount Ayr High School, where Cindy’s niece is currently a teacher. Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr assisted the family.
Born Cynthia Jean Gordon Jan. 16, 1949, to Dr. Marvin Gordon and Jean Francis (Slocum) Gordon in Des Moines, Cindy was the eldest of four sisters, including Kathy, Connie and Christie. She spent much of her early life in Des Moines and Baxter, before moving to Globe, Arizona, and later settling in Clearfield, where she would go on to live a full and impactful life.
Cindy was a proud graduate of the Clearfield High School class of 1967, where she excelled academically and earned the honor of valedictorian. She enjoyed basketball, particularly her memories of attending the state tournament as a freshman. She was also an active member of the band. Cindy had a passion for her home economics classes and loved designing and wearing her own creations. It was during her school years that Cindy met the love of her life, Galen Baker, in the fourth grade.
Their relationship was a slow burn — initially, they didn’t like each other as children — but they began dating on New Year’s Eve, 1965, and were married July 12, 1969. Cindy remembered the day as extremely hot and recalled how, as she prepared in the one air-conditioned room of her parents’ home, she stepped outside to go to the church and felt her makeup slide off her face. The couple honeymooned in Colorado, where Cindy suggested they stay in a cabin so she could play “house.” She later remarked, “Why did I do that when I was going to play house for the rest of my life?”
After high school, Cindy attended Iowa State University, where she pledged Chi Omega, before transferring to Northwest Missouri State University after she and Galen were married.
A town girl marrying a country boy was eye-opening for Cindy. Her negligee was no match for a cold bedroom in an old farmhouse, and she quickly discovered that flannel pajamas were quite comfortable. She graduated in 1971 with a degree in education and completed her master’s degree in 1988 through Drake University. Cindy’s passion for teaching first led her to Jefferson, where she began her career as a home economics teacher. She often shared the story that the principal walked into her first classroom and couldn’t tell her apart from the students, prompting her to cut her hair that very night. Cindy and Galen made many lifelong friends during their time in Jefferson and enjoyed traveling across the Midwest to visit them later in life.
In 1975, the couple moved back to Clearfield, where Cindy began teaching in the Corning School District. In 1976, Cindy and Galen were blessed with the arrival of a red-headed baby boy, Gabriel Galen. Cindy took a brief break from teaching before returning to the Lenox School District, where she would remain until her retirement in 2009. In early 1982, Cindy and Galen received another blessing with the arrival of their red-headed baby girl, Gretchen Jean. The couple believed their family was complete, only to be surprised later by the birth of their third child, Gentry Reed, in 1984. Cindy enjoyed the balance of raising her children both in town and on the farm, where they got the best of both worlds—town and country life.
Cindy enjoyed her family and friends and loved being social. Cindy and Galen were part of a card club for years and enjoyed many nights around a campfire somewhere in southwest Iowa. She often remembered traveling to home economics meetings with other teachers, and we are told she was quite a hoot after the learning had completed for the day.
Throughout her long career, she wore many hats: she sponsored FHA, the junior class and the hot lunch program, served as equity director and curriculum director and even taught chemistry and coached junior high basketball when there was no one else. Her students, particularly those in her foods, child development and marriage and family classes, fondly remember her as a caring and dedicated teacher who always went the extra mile.
Cindy’s creativity and talents extended far beyond the classroom. She was a gifted seamstress, regularly altering prom and wedding dresses well into her late 60s. She had many colorful words for the girls who chose beaded dresses that required hand sewing. Her home was always beautifully decorated, as Cindy loved tackling home décor projects. Gentry recalls spending many hours in the paint aisle and carpet stores, with the bathtub often filled with water and wallpaper. Cindy was also a talented cook and baker who collected cookbooks and loved trying new recipes. Her kids remember weekends spent on the farm, where they assisted with farm chores, including working with piglets—a memory marked by much laughter and the occasional “nut fight” in the process.
Cindy was also a devoted grandmother. Her first grandchild, Genesis, was born in 2007, followed by Maxwell (2009), Macy (2011) and Wyatt (2016). Cindy loved being Nana, showering her grandchildren with affection and teaching them her love of baking, all while creating lasting memories. She handmade Christmas stockings for all her family members, made quilts to give away, repaired many farmers’ jeans and created new outfits for her granddaughters to enjoy.
Cindy was known for her gift of gab, often leaving her children in the car for an hour while she’d say, “Just a minute,” as she went in to talk to one of her sisters. She was a friendly and talkative presence wherever she went, and her students and friends alike often sought her out for advice. She enjoyed running into her old students, even though later in life she might walk away from a conversation and ask Galen, “Now, who the hell was that?”
Cindy had been a breast cancer survivor since 2002. Her diagnosis brought a new fight into her life—not just for herself, but also for her sister Kathy, who was diagnosed a few months later. Together, they shared the journey. They enjoyed traveling to Des Moines for their oncology appointments and would make a day of it, shopping and going out to eat.
As the years continued on, Galen and Cindy’s roles reversed as Cindy’s health declined. Galen started baking sweet treats and good meals and often commented how a little mouse (Cindy) ate all the cookies in the cookie jar overnight. She would always say back, “Me? I didn’t do that.”
Cindy was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Marvin Gordon and Jean Allen; her stepfather, Bernard Allen and her sisters, Connie Gordon and Kathy Brown.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, Galen Baker; son Gabe (Jessie) Baker; daughters, Gretchen (Matt) Wimer and Gentry (Bryce) Landers; grandchildren: Genesis, Maxwell, Macy and Wyatt; sisters, Christie Brown and Jane Richards; several step-siblings; nieces, nephews, extended family and many dear friends.
Cindy’s legacy lives on through the countless lives she touched, both in the classroom and beyond. Her kindness, creativity and love will be missed, but never forgotten.