Barbara Walters

Barbara Jean Walters passed away on December 12, 2021, at her home in Grand Junction, CO. She was 96 years old, the last remaining member of her generation. She was born on April 4, 1925 to Glenna E Walters and Lester A Walters in Jamestown, NY. She was raised with her brother and 6 sisters during the Great Depression and World War II, graduating from Cassadaga Valley Central School in 1942 where she served as Treasurer for Student Council, and performed in the Senior play. She confessed to having ditched school one day… to watch “Gone with the Wind” on the big screen, and then had makeup time after school. She went on to earn a degree from a business school.

She moved west to Kansas where she met Chester Baker while waiting tables, and eventually they married. They moved through several states while he worked in the oil and gas fields. They had five kids, Debbie, Desa, Dane, Gene and Tina. When she was expecting her third, Barbara decided it was time to stay in one place for a while, putting down roots in Grand Junction, CO.

After she and Chet divorced, she worked many jobs to support her family, mostly waiting tables. She would send the kids to school in the morning, go to work, then come home to make dinner and help with projects and homework. The house was always full of the smell of home-cooked food, the sounds of her kids, their friends, and whatever dogs and cats had “followed them home”.

She was briefly married to Bill Marr and moved to Flagstaff, AZ. As her kids grew up and moved out, she also moved on to new opportunities, but still in a motherly capacity. She worked as the House Mother for a halfway house for teen girls released from juvenile detention. Following that, she worked as the House Mother for Greek houses in Boulder and Albuquerque.

Barbara settled later in Rifle, CO, working part-time at the Rifle Information Center. and then back to Grand Junction, CO, staying close to family.

Barbara enjoyed learning about the culture, people, art and history of any community she was near. She was active with her church and could be depended on to bring cookies for after service (and another batch for grandkids). She also enjoyed sketching portraits, listening to music, and swing dancing.

Throughout her life she cared deeply for her family. She was often the center of communication between her many sisters and their children, and she kept track of all of them.

She was a loving mother to Deborah Ormsbee of Overland Park KS, Desa Baker, Dane Baker (Amanda), and Tina Meens (Michael) of Grand Junction CO, and Eugene Baker (Cindy) of Oakland AR. A doting grandmother to 12 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.

Barbara was preceded in death by her mother Glenna Walters, father Lester Walters. She was the second oldest of the seven “Walters girls”,  the late Virginia Wilcox, Marjorie Faber, Marvel Harper, Natalie Allshouse,  Janet Walker, and Kathleen Mikula, and her brother the late Quinby Walters. Her grandsons the late David Ormsbee, Matthew Ormsbee, and Jordan Baker and her great-granddaughter the late Krista Fisher-Igle .

In lieu of flowers, Barbara asked that donations be made to your favorite animal charity.

We would like to recognize the support and caring provided by the staff at HopeWest Hospice, and the loving and tireless care from her daughter Desa, who was her primary caregiver during the last years of her life.

A Celebration of Life Memorial will be held for Barbara in the Spring of 2022.