Frances (Baker) Ward
February 16, 1921 – January 1, 2013

Frances Baker Ward, 91, of South Bend died Tuesday, January 1, 2013 in her residence following a brief illness. Mrs. Ward was born February 16, 1921 in South Bend to the late Thelma (Davidson) and Donald Baker and was a lifetime area resident.

On July 14, 1940 in Niles, MI as Frances J. Baker she married Edison B. Ward who preceded her in death March 30, 1988. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, Donald, Robert and George William Baker.

She is survived by daughters, Sandra W. Lamberson, MD of Easley, SC and Jennifer W. Linder (James) of South Bend; son, Jerry B. Ward (Brenda) of New Canaan, CT; six grandchildren, Erin Linder Hanig (Justin), Sarah Ward Linder, Amy Ward Albright, Austin Rawlings Ward, Michael Sean Lamberson, and Jeffery John Lamberson; and five great-grandchildren, Lily and Mabel Albright, Ava and Nikolas Lamberson, and Baker Lamberson.

For many years Mrs. Ward was the volunteer coordinator for the American Red Cross at Memorial Hospital. Because of her many years of dedicated service to the Red Cross she was the first person in St. Joseph County to earn the Clara Barton Award. She was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church where she served as a deacon, trustee and church clerk. Her many hobbies included, needlepoint, china painting at which she excelled, and tending to her beautiful English Garden. She also loved to travel.

The Ward family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the wonderful and loving care Frances received from her caregivers and the Center for Hospice Care. Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday, January 5th in First Baptist Church, 3010 S. Ironwood Dr. with Rev. Janell Bloem and Rev. Robert Curtis officiating. A church luncheon will immediately follow the service. Committal services and burial will then follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger. The family will receive friends on Saturday in the church from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service. Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, 3010 S. Ironwood Dr., South Bend, IN, 46614. Welsheimer Family Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Family and friends may leave e-mail condolences at www.welsheimer.com.

Charitable donations may be made in Frances's memory to the following organization:
First Baptist Church 3010 S. Ironwood Dr., South Bend, IN, 46614

Sources: Ancestry.com and FindAGrave.com

06/29/2025 EJS

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103056356/frances_jane-ward