Irisanne Bryant Baker, 81, of Cascade, passed peacefully on January 3, 2025, surrounded by her family. She was born on January 17, 1943, to Alvin Bryant and Delores Spencer in Joplin, Mo. Her father’s job took them to Kansas City, Mo., Houston, Tex., with them eventually landing in Rock Creek Canyon south of Colorado Springs, Colo. when she was 11. It was here, along with her daddy and brother, that she was introduced to a lifelong passion for horses, cowboys and the western lifestyle. She graduated from Fountain-Fort Carson High School in 1961.
In 1971, Iris moved with her kids to Great Falls, Mont., and in 1974, she moved her family to the community of Cascade, where she remained for the rest of her life. It should also be no surprise that Iris began working at the age of 14, where she joined her mother at the mail order catalog company Walter Drake and Sons in Colorado Springs, where she continued to work until she moved to Montana. Once she arrived in Great Falls, she went to work for Lewis Construction as a bookkeeper. She worked at several construction companies through the years, with her last full-time bookkeeping position being at Marra, Wenz, Johnson and Hopkins.
Anyone who knew Iris, could see how hard she worked to take care of her kids and keep them safe. She knew that moving to a small town could help her attain that goal. She could be described as strong, confident, feisty, funny and fun loving. She was tough as nails with an equally soft heart. As her kids got older, she could finally slow down a bit and was able to find a special group of friends in Cascade who were so dear to her heart. She was able to travel a bit with them and truly had some of the funnest times of her life with them. There is no doubt that she considered her kids, grandkids and great grandkids her greatest accomplishments in life.
Iris is survived by her partner of 40 years, Harlan Den Boer of Cascade, her children Dawn Makoski of Stevensville, Denny (Lynn) Creech and Lenny Creech of Lincoln, and Jodi Baker of Stevensville. Grandchildren, John (Heather) Makoski, Colten Creech-Mast, Jordan Doland, Kade Creech, Gavin Mestas and Gracie Mestas. Her great grandchildren, Caiden, Ryan and Scarlett. Also surviving her are her siblings, Norman Bryant, Dixie Spencer and Byron Hamilton Jr.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.