September 20, 1934 ~ October 29, 2020 (age 86)
Claire Corbett Baeten, age 86, passed away peacefully at her daughter’s home in Erie, Colorado, on Thursday, October 29, 2020. Her husband, children and grandchildren were by her side.
Claire was born September 20, 1934, in Springfield, South Carolina, the youngest daughter of Curt and Edna Corbett. She attended nurses’ training at Baptist Hospital in Columbia, SC, and became an RN. One day in 1954, she met a young GI stationed at Fort Jackson with orders for Korea. She and that soldier, Gerald Baeten, maintained a long-distance relationship, and were married on August 27, 1955. They started a family while Jerry was at Clemson, moved to Wisconsin and, before long, were proud parents of three boys and three girls.
While raising six children, Claire resumed her medical career, and was director of nursing at Carlyle Nursing Home in South Beloit, Illinois. As part of a continuing education group, she travelled to China in the early 1980’s as that country opened its doors to westerners.
Jerry and Claire were world travelers, from Norway to New Zealand. When Jerry retired in 1998, they continued their travels as full-time RV’ers. Summers were spent visiting children and grandchildren in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain region, and friends and family throughout the US and Canada. They joined an RV resort co-op called Pine to Palm in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, where they wintered for fourteen years. They built many close friendships and always stayed busy. Claire enjoyed needlework, and at Pine to Palm she exhibited a remarkable talent for watercolor art. Her paintings of rural scenes and lighthouses are especially beloved.
When Claire suffered a stroke in 2018, her daughter’s family welcomed her into their busy Colorado household, where she was swept up in the activities of three generations of family. Despite personal hardships, she always enjoyed having visitors. Claire possessed a sharp wit, and never lost her sense of humor. She brought a smile to our lips and comfort to our hearts.
Claire is survived by her beloved husband Gerald Baeten of Erie CO; sister Koko (Dan) Robinson of Lancaster SC; daughters Martha (Doug) Schmid of Dubuque IA, Pamela (Dan) Specht of Clearwater FL, and Lisa (Dennis) Simplot of Erie CO; sons Anthony (Linda) Baeten of Lander WY, William (Rita) Baeten of Billings MT, and Michael (D’Lon) Baeten of Kalispell MT; fifteen grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and two step-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sister Eloise; and brothers Herbert and Harvey.
A funeral mass will be held at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, at Saint Scholastica Catholic Church in Erie, Colorado. Instructions for viewing the live streaming are on the following page.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Claire’s name may be made to St. Scholastica Catholic Church or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
