Grace Laura (Froese) Baiton
B. September 17, 1937 – D. March 1, 2014

Proverbs 31:28-29 (NIV)

Grace Laura (Froese) Baiton – a gentle yet mighty woman of God, who always put faith and her family first, who loved unconditionally and forgave easily – passed away peacefully with her family at her side at the Foothills Country Hospice (Okotoks, Alberta) mid-morning on Saturday March 1, 2014 after a four-month grueling battle with pancreatic and liver cancer. She fought hard for her life until the very end, noting that she still had more work to do.

Grace leaves behind the family that cherished her including four children: Tracy Torrence (John), Jill Sulz (Aaron), Tim Baiton (Marlene), and Lisa Baiton; eight grandchildren: Joshua Torrence (Jennifer), Elise-Lauren (Torrence) Springer (Julian), Brendan Sulz (Kerry), Qailah Adam, Qail Adam; three great-grandchildren: Jacob Torrence, Jasmine Torrence, Judah Torrence and one more on the way. Grace’s husband, Stefan (Steve) Baiton of 53 years passed away in April 2012.

Grace was an exemplary sister, wife, mother (“Mom”), grandmother (“Grams”), great-grandmother (“Grandma B.”), aunt (“Auntie Grace”), friend, role model, business woman, contributor to the Church and to the community. She was a woman of immense integrity, whose ethical principles were consistently visible in what she said and how she behaved, woven throughout the very fabric of her life. She was the absolute embodiment of her name.

Grace’s mantra was: “relationships are everything” which was usually followed by the recitation of Matthew 6:20 “But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal” – making the point that material possessions and worldly accomplishments are absolutely meaningless if you aren’t living right and if don’t have the love of family and friends.

Grace was born on September 17, 1937 to Jacob and Agnes (Klassen) Froese and spent the early years of her life in a small Dutch Mennonite community called Blumenhof, Saskatchewan. Grace was one of six children, including John Froese (d.), Mary (Froese) Sartison (d.), David Froese (d.), Jake Froese (d.), and Evelyn (Froese) Peters.

Grace’s family moved to Swift Current, Saskatchewan in 1951 where Grace attended Ashley Park School and Swift Current Collegiate. After graduation, Grace worked as the book-keeper for Memory Gardens where she met her husband Steve, to whom she married in 1959. Grace was a woman ahead of her time: she chose to have a career in addition to having a family – initially working for Saskatchewan Government Telephones. She was in fact a full co-owner of Superior Trucking & Earthmoving (1965-2012) with her husband Steve and many years later with her son Tim, an oilfield service company that built and restored drill-site platforms. Over those 47 years in business, Grace oversaw all the back-office functions of the business (in the early years from the basement of their home) – and it was her business acumen that helped keep the business afloat in the lean years.

But Grace's greatest love was for her family. She and her husband Steve’s favorite thing was to have all the kids, married-ins, grandkids, great-grandkids, cats and dogs at home -- all under one roof. Grace showered her family with love, prayer and delicious home-cooking – always going out of her way to prepare everyone’s favorite dishes when they came over. She had a way of making each child and grand/great-grandchild feel uniquely special, like they had their own distinct connection with her. Her grandson Joshua has always said: “If I could, I would still rather go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house than any place in the world!” Her kind and gentle spirit extended to animals, who were included as integral members of the Baiton family.

Grace had a tremendous capacity to give of herself, not only to her family and friends, but also to the community. She was a mighty prayer warrior who literally dedicated hours to prayer every day – not only on behalf of her family and extended family, but for her friends and their children. Grace had a passion for politics and government affairs, always staying abreast of the world news, praying for wisdom and guidance for the political leadership of her province and country. She was the primary end-of-life care-giver to her own mother, father and sister Mary. For many years, she served as both as the church pianist and as Sunday school teacher at the Alpine Church of God. She was active in Women’s Aglow International (Canada), serving as Chair of the Area Board, travelling to Conferences throughout North America, often as a keynote speaker. She had a philanthropic spirit, donating to many charitable causes, but was partial to sponsoring children as part of the World Vision mission.

Grace was artistically creative. Self-taught, she could play any tune on the piano by ear, her children often waking to the beautiful sound of her fingers dancing across the ivory keys. She was a writer and a published poet. She loved the beauty in nature, and in particular loved flowers, not only those that she planted in her own yard but admiring the gardening skills of her neighbors.

Grace believed in staying healthy – spiritually, intellectually and physically. She never smoked or drank, was conscious about what she ate and what she watched on television, and went for long walks every day, even in the winter. She was an avid reader, always having several books on the go, as well as a crossword puzzle to keep her mentally agile. Up until her recent health issues, she was proud of her accomplishment of never having to go to the hospital in the 46 years since her last child was born, her proof-point of a healthy lifestyle.

One of her friends said recently: “Grace was so special to so many people.” The void she leaves is immense.

The family of Grace Baiton would like to thank Pastor Alex Allan (Alpine Church of God, Swift Current, SK) for his unwavering spiritual support, to Pastor Rick Wengel (Full Gospel Church, High River, AB) for taking on the role of Mom’s new pastor after she moved from her life-long home in Swift Current to Alberta in Fall 2012, to the Alberta Health Services/Nanton Community Health Centre (Dr. Ron Spice, Lee, Sheena, Bonnie), the High River Hospital -- and in particular the Foothills Country Hospice in Okotoks (Dr. Oelschig, all the nurses and staff) who treated our Mom with such gentle care and made our Mom’s final days so peaceful. Thanks also go out to those who held my Mom and our family in your prayers during this very difficult time. We really can’t thank you enough.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday March 8, 2014 at 1:00pm at the Alpine Church of God (925 2nd Avenue South East - Swift Current, SK). Memorial donations can be made in Grace’s memory to World Vision.