Debera Margaret Baker

DEBERA MARGARET BAKER, age 71 of Lake Washington, died on the morning of Sunday, December 21, 2025, due to congestive heart failure complications.

Deb was born in Santa Monica, California on July 14, 1954 to parents Alvin and Claire (Burch) Gau. She lived in Venice, CA and Anaheim, CA. She began school while in California and later attended schools in Lincoln, NE, Sioux Falls, SD, and Mankato, MN. Over the years, she worked at Kato Engineering, Oaklawn Nursing Home, Hiniker Cab Company, Green Giant, and Mankato State University. She had been married to Patrick Baker on May 21, 1973, and although they later divorced she still described him as the “man of her dreams”. She went on to work at Shari Candies and Courier Dispatch before taking some time to raise her children on the farm in Kasota, MN. She later worked at Young America Corporation and concluded her working years as a legal clerk. She enjoyed the majority of her final years living at the lake, going on boat rides, writing stories, spending time with her children, and being “Goofy Grandma” to her grandchildren.

Deb is survived by five children, Clark (Naomi) Baker of Eagle Lake, MN, Jill (Paul) Cusick of Eagle Lake, MN, Addie (John) Martin of Eden Prairie, MN, Emmy (Nate) Bateman of Cleveland, MN, and Leita (Jake) Grunzke of Janesville, MN; eight grandchildren, Sydney, Evalyn, Jack, George, Claire, Joyce, Russell, and Berkley; four siblings, Jeff (Joyce) Gau of Minneapolis, MN, Dan (Tracy) Gau of Crystal, MN, Tom (Jane) Gau of Maple Grove, MN, and Judy (Mike) Mulligan of Mankato, MN; special “Sister-Cousins”; extended Baker family; as well as goddaughters; countless in-laws (and outlaws); and nieces; and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; two children in infancy; her brother, Michael Gau; her foster-brother, Zeke Zacharias; and her sisters-in-law, Linda Gau and Karen Baker.

A visitation will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at the Third Street Chapel of Dennis-Steffel-Omtvedt Funeral and Cremation Services in Waseca. A private family interment will take place at Calvary Cemetery in Mankato later in the year.