Rev. Dr. Kathryn Wilsey Baker, age 84, died at home surrounded by her loved ones, in Land O Lakes, FL on Wednesday November 1, 2023 after a lengthy illness. Born in Eau Claire, WI on April 28, 1939 she was the middle child of the late Allyn and Alice Wilsey (nee Murray). She was preceded in death by her older sister Geraldine Wendt (George), younger brother Richard Wilsey (Sue) and her beloved husband Vernon Walter Baker.

Kathy's lifelong service in ministry began in her youth. She attended numerous youth retreats, camps and conferences. She graduated from Eau Claire High School and went on to attend Bethel College where she received her Bachelor's in English. (Her commitment to proper grammar was felt among her children and even in the advanced stage of her disease she continued to subtly correct them as she saw fit.) Service in the church was where her heart was so she traveled to California to attend Berkley Theological Seminary. She was one of only a handful of women in her class. This was a theme that followed her in her service to the church. In a male dominated field during the early 1960's she had found her calling and she broke glass ceilings in her career.

She moved to Philadelphia after graduation and started her career with the American Baptist Churches. Shortly after she got there, her friend Vern, whom she had known since her teenage years after meeting at a church youth group function, came to visit. On that trip he professed his love for her. His intention was to spend the rest of his life with her. It was just the beginning of what many would call a marriage made in heaven. Kathy spent a year in her new job and then moved back to Wisconsin.

Vernon and Kathryn were married on June 13, 1964, in Eau Claire, WI. They moved to LaCrosse, where Vern worked as a pharmacist. While there they welcomed their first daughter, Elizabeth. Vern went on to purchase a pharmacy in a small town in Illinois. Kathy found a home for them that 'had potential' and over the years she and Vern put love, sweat and tears into renovations. They welcomed two more daughters during that time, Marjorie and then two years later Emily.

Kathy was resourceful. She knit, sewed, canned, baked, and found extraordinary antiques at auction or by the side of the road. She would refinish them and tell the story of how she acquired it and made it like new again – at a bargain. Bargains were one of her favorite things. She also taught her children that the best place to shop was the back of the store, sale racks first. Making their home beautiful with those antiques was something she took pride in. She and Vern spent their time involved in the church. They also enjoyed dancing in more than one dance club, where they honed their skills in square dance and polka and traveled whenever possible.

In 1975, Vern and Kathy (and their girls) welcomed an exchange student from Sweden into their home. Anna Rosvall Stuart stayed with them for a year and has continued to be a part of their lives to this day. Kathy and Vern spent many a Midsommer in Sweden with Anna and this fostered Kathy's Swedish roots. Collecting Swedish décor became a standard, including Dala horses and many prints by her favorite Swedish artist. She continued the tradition of making lefse every Christmas, as her mother did (even though it is really Norwegian). In 1975 Emily started school which allowed Kathy to forge ahead in her career and her calling to the ministry.

She went to work at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, IL as the Director of Christian Education. She did this for a short period of time before she was ordained. She then served as the Associate Pastor in that same church until 1980. At that time, she picked up her family and moved back to the Philadelphia area. Leaving the small town and the pharmacy behind was a big decision and Vern willingly told her to follow her calling.

For 5 years she worked for the American Baptist Churches placing retired ministers in churches as interim pastors. Then in 1985 there was another move. The American Baptist Churches of the Niagara Frontier was looking for a new Executive Minister in Buffalo, NY. She became the very first woman in the country to hold that position, in any denomination. During her time as the Executive Minister of ABCNF she navigated the position with finesse and expertise. She gained the respect and admiration of many. When that position came to an end she served as the interim pastor of a church in the Detroit, MI area which meant leaving Buffalo and her family. Living apart from the love of her life was not easy but it was only for a short period of time. She was then called to work for The United Church of Christ as the Executive Minister in Buffalo and served in that role until her retirement.

Kathy and Vern traveled the world extensively throughout the years. These travels including Egypt, Italy, Yugoslavia, Scandinavia, United Kingdom, Eastern and Western Europe as well as China, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Burma and New Zealand. They also visited several Caribbean islands sailing on a friends sail boat.

Kathy was also an advocate of civil rights and was dedicated to the Democratic party. In her retirement she worked the voting desk for as many elections as she could and served as the President of the local Democratic Women's Association in Vero Beach. She campaigned for several candidates throughout her life and walked door to door to hand out information near and dear to her heart.

She was liberal to the core and stood for her beliefs. Inclusion was an area of focus, even before it was mainstream. When Emily wanted to play on the all-boys rural baseball team in Winchester, Kathy advocated for her daughter and fought the powers that be so she could play. In her ministry she advocated for the language of hymns to be updated and was part of a group who created an inclusive hymnal for the church the family attended in Pennsylvania.

Kathy also felt love is love. She officiated numerous weddings for family (including Elizabeth and Steven and Marjorie and Howard), friends and strangers. She also performed many union ceremonies for same sex couples prior to legislation making it a legal marriage. The last marriage she officiated was between two dear friends. It was the first time in her career she was able to sign papers for the State and the Country to recognize it as a legal union between two individuals who loved each other regardless of gender identity. It was something she continued to talk about throughout her illness and was the culmination of her incredible career and lifelong journey to spread her ministry to the masses.

Kathy was dedicated to educating others. She was a member of PEO since her college years. Helping women in need, and in particular, assisting with obtaining funds for their education, was a passion. Her daughter, Emily, has followed in her footsteps and is a member of PEO and is carrying on her dedication to the cause. In Kathy's retirement she put her educational talents to work at a personal level. She spent numerous hours volunteering as a tutor for immigrants so they could succeed in their transition into the country, gain employment and/or earning a degree.

Marjorie and Emily were both married and settled in Buffalo and Elizabeth was married and living in Plattsburgh NY. Three granddaughters were welcomed, Abigail, Madelyn, and Grace (Marjorie and Robert). As Abby began to talk Kathy kept trying to have her say Grandma but when that wouldn't happen, Marjorie said, "she can say Nana". That was when Kathy became Nana. Nana made a distinct impression on her grandchildren and there were more to come. In 2002 while awaiting the birth of a fourth grandchild (Emily and Alan), Kathy and Vern did something they said they would never do. Actually three… They moved to Florida, built a house, and got a pool.

They loved living in Florida and were very active in the church in Vero Beach. They made lots of friends and enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine. They continued to travel and made several trips north to NY to visit their growing family. Emily and Al welcomed Isabel in 2003 and then, much to everyone's surprise, when we expected to never 'get a boy', twins, Jennifer and Vincent were born in 2005.

2014 was a pivotal year. She officiated Marjorie and Howard's wedding and celebrated her and Vern's 75th birthdays. She watched her eldest grandchild graduate from High School and marked the milestone of her 50th wedding anniversary to the love of her life. Then right before Thanksgiving, Vern passed away after a lengthy illness.

Florida just wasn't the same without him, so back to Buffalo Kathy went. She wanted to be closer to family. That move lasted only a few years. With the onset of her illness becoming more evident, when Emily and her family moved to the Tampa area in 2020 Kathy followed. She didn't like the cold and snow and missed the sunshine and warmth. Marjorie and Howard followed with a move to Florida in 2021. Moving to be closer to Kathy and Emily's family proved to be exactly what was needed.

Kathy has now gone on to dance with Vern, have coffee with her parents, drink wine with her brother and sister and laugh and eat as many sweets as she wants with her friends who have been patiently waiting for her. She doesn't need to just order a fork for dessert anymore to steal bites from the plates of others. Her soul is singing and she is at peace.

She is survived by daughters Elizabeth Eldredge (Steven), Marjorie Davis (Howard), Emily Montesanti (Alan), Anna (Rosvall) Stuart. Grandchildren Abigail Borrelli, Madelyn Borrelli, Grace Borrelli (children of Robert Borrelli), Isabel Montesanti, Jennifer Montesanti, Vincent Montesanti, Jakob Stuart, Gabriel Stuart, and Walter Stuart.

A service will be planned at the Community Church of Vero Beach on a date yet to be determined. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending contributions to a Memorial Education Fund being set up in her name.