Wanda Baird

BAIRD, WIELE, SHEW, HOYLE, RUSIN, YODER, DURST, SULLIVAN

Posted By: Judy Kelley (email)
Date: 3/7/2009 at 23:29:40

Services: 7 p.m. Friday, June 23, Anderson Funeral Home Ltd., DeKalb; and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 25, Dudgeon-McCulley Funeral Home, Wapello, Iowa. Visitations: 5-7 p.m. Friday, Anderson Funeral Home Ltd.; and 1-2 p.m. Sunday, Dudgeon-McCulley funeral Home.

DEKALB, Ill. -- Wanda C. Baird, aka "LaLee-Pop" the clown, 82, DeKalb, died Monday, June 19, 2006, at the home of her daughter in Naperville, Ill.

The Rev. Darryl Erickson will officiate the services on Sunday.

Burial will be at Indian Creek Cemetery Columbus Junction, Iowa.

A memorial has been established at Anderson Funeral Home Ltd., P.O. Box 605, 2011 S. Fourth St., DeKalb, IL 60115.

Mrs. Baird was born July 31, 1923, in Grandview, Iowa, the daughter of Mike and Hazel Wiele Shew. She married Phillip J. Baird on Oct. 21, 1945, in Grandview. He preceded her in death in 2002.

She spent many years working at the DeKalb Bank and Northern Illinois University, where she retired after more than 20 years. She had a passion for her family as well as telling stories and making others laugh. She spent many years entertaining people as LaLee-Pop" the clown. She was a helper to others and was actively a giver of random acts of kindness. The Leonard Street neighborhood will have an empty spot, as she was a great neighbor to all. She was active in the American Legion Auxillary and the 8/40 Group. She enjoyed serving veterans and was involved with their project to help children with Cystic Fibrosis at the Jewish Children's Hospital in Denver, Colo. She could be seen all dressed up in her Red Hat as she socialized with the Red Hatter's club of DeKalb.

Survivors include a daughter, Barbara Hoyle and husband Randy of Naperville; a granddaughter, Valerie Rusin and husband Jason of Montgomery, Ill.; a sister, Norma Yoder and husband Elwood of Kalona, Iowa, two sisters-in-law, Eleanor Durst of Muscatine, Iowa, and Mary V. Baird of Davenport, Iowa; two brothers-in-law, Don Baird and wife Wanda of Coralville, Iowa, and Lloyd Baird and wife Joan of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; two brothers-in-law, James Baird and Warren Durst; and special friend, Barbara Sullivan.

Muscatine Journal, June 22, 2006