Isabelle Clotiaux Baer, 94, of Lumberton, died Monday, March 28, 2016, at Village Creek Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Lumberton. She was born on March 30, 1921, in Beaumont, to Anita Duhon and Romuald Victorian Clotiaux.
She graduated from French High School in 1940 where she developed a love of sports. She played basketball, tennis, and was a cheerleader. After high school, she became an avid golfer, along with her brother, sister, and their spouses. Growing up during the Great Depression she learned the value and importance of family. She has always been the one that took care of others. To herm, serving was as natural as breathing. She was the one that helped Daddy Rupe with the garden, or tinker with the tractor or some old car, or help Granny can the tomatoes, Moque Choux along with other garden vegetables. This defined who she was; a servant at heart. Even though there was never a lot of money, she always made sure that the family took a summer vacation. This was important. Loading up in the station wagon, lunches packed the family would head out to California or Washington DC or Colorado. Every Sunday she would cook a big family lunch - roast with rice and gravy. These things she learned from her mother and when Granny passed, she continued the tradition of meeting at the old house to have Sunday lunch.
She was fortunate to have her grandchildren living close enough to her to see them everyday. She was such an active part of their everyday life which created so many wonderful memories that each one carry close to their heart. As a grandmother, she became Maw Maw, by extension, to the grandkids friends that came around. Everybody loved Isabelle. Funny, sometimes inappropriate with her words, always engaging, she never took herself too serious.
Later in life she rediscovered her Catholic faith and rarely missed Sunday Mass. Shame on the unwitting person that happened to arrive early and settle in her “assigned” seat.
Once you stumbled across Isabelle you could not help but be attracted to her. Even during these last months at the nursing home, where she was but a semblance of herself, the staff would come by just to see ‘Ol Isabelle. You never know what she might just say or do. Everybody loved Isabelle.
Survivors include her daughters, Patricia Ashmore of Kountze and Melinda LeBlanc and her husband, Deacon Garry, of Lumberton; son, Walter Roy Baer, Jr. and his wife, Sharon, of Lumberton; brother, Don Clotiaux and his wife, Billie, of Nederland; sister, Marie Deen of Wildwood; grandchildren, Missy Baker, Kristy Lindsey, Ashley Baer, Tiffany Baer, and Kayla LeBlanc; great-grandchildren, Philip Wade Crow, Haley Crow, Caitlin Crow, Leah McKinley, Zander Lindsey, Andi Baldwin, and Bailey Baldwin; and six great-great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents and infant grandchild, April Kay Baer.
A gathering of Mrs. Baer’s family and friends will be 5:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., with a Christian Vigil at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, March 31, 2016, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, April 1, 2016, at Infant Jesus Catholic Church, 243 South LHS Drive, Lumberton, with her interment to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 700 North Street Suite M, Beaumont, Texas 77701; Infant Jesus Catholic Church, 243 South LHS Drive, Lumberton, Texas 77657; or an organization of one’s choice.
