| MaryJanesFarm

Marilyn Trail and John Baker were both raised in Moscow, Idaho. Their parents were friends. As children, they shared the same classrooms, and were sweethearts through their high school and college years.

After they graduated, however, they followed their careers to different states, both married others, both had two children, and then later both divorced.

And yes, there is a storybook ending: in 1985, they rediscovered each other and got married.

"Oh, it was like going home and marrying the guy next door," Marilyn laughed. "We had kept in contact with Christmas cards, but to find each other again, after all we had done, was wonderful."

In the thirty years between high school and marriage, they both had plenty of interesting experiences.

Marilyn graduated from Vassar College in New York with a degree in mathematics in 1958. She moved to San Fransisco and worked for Shell Oil Company as a computer programmer. There she met her first husband, who was a student at Stanford. They married in 1959 and moved to Portland for his medical school.

Over the next few years, they lived in various West Coast towns as she raised their children (Eric and Gretchen) and taught both computer programming and recorder playing. She was also a member of a 35 piece recorder (it's a clarinet-like musical instrument) ensemble at Reed College when they lived in Portland.

In 1971, she divorced, then got a masters degree in psychology and, in 1976, moved with her children to Bainbridge Island, near Seattle.

In the meantime, John graduated from the University of Idaho, taught music at schools in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and then returned to the UI to graduate with a master's degree in music, with emphasis on trombone performance, in 1963. He married the music teacher from the schools of nearby Sandpoint, Idaho. They had two children, Anne-Marie and M. Orien.

For the next ten years, he taught music in schools throughout the Inland Northwest, then later worked as a property manager, repaired musical instruments, and gave private music lessons.

But he kept those jobs to underwrite his true love: performing as a member of the Spokane Symphony. For 37 years, until his retirement in 1999, John played trombone (and occasionally tuba or euphonium) for the symphony.

"I loved being part of the symphony," he said. "I was getting paid--not a lot, but something--for what is one of my life's great joys, something I would have gladly done for free."

After Marilyn and John married, they tried a long-distance marriage. She was reluctant to leave Bainbridge Island, and he did not want to give up his seat in the Spokane Symphony.

However, in 1990, Marilyn moved to Spokane where she worked as a counselor for the YWCA and then in 1991 was hired by Washington State University to work in the Spokane cooperative extension office. She was hired to work on a community empowerment project with families in the west-central neighborhood in Spokane, teaching home management and life skills.

"I was hired to be a change agent," she said. "It has been--and still is--rewarding work, spiritually satisfying."

In 1996, due to John's declining health, they developed an interest in organic food. They read the issue of National Geographic magazine that included mention of MaryJane Butters and Paradise Farm Organics in their hometown of Moscow. Later they met a Paradise Farm stockholder in Spokane and got a catalog from her.

"I started ordering food from MaryJane," Marilyn said. "We decided to become stockholders. The decision was intuitive, not rational, but it was the right thing to do."

"I am very glad we decided to become stockholders," she continued. "I like to feel that our money is invested in developing sustainable farming practices and organic food sources. And as a backpacker, I like their food."

"Besides, just like everyone, we want to leave the planet a little better than when we arrived."

We now remember and celebrate the life of John Baker who died of cancer November 10, 2000.

POST HUMUS
(poem read by Marilyn Trail at John's memorial service)

Scatter my ashes in my garden
So I can be near my loves.
Say a few honest words, sing a gentle song.
Join hands in a circle of flesh.
Please tell some stories about me
Making you laugh. I love to make you laugh.
When I've had time to settle, and green
gathers into buds, remember I love blossoms
bursting in spring. As the season ripens
remember my persistent passion.
And if you come into my garden
On an August afternoon
Pluck a bright red globe,
Let juice run down your chin and the seeds
Stick to your cheek. When I'm dead
I want folks to smile and say "That John,
He sure was some tomato!"


marilyn trail and john baker
		Marilyn Trail and John Baker were both raised in Moscow, Idaho. Their parents were friends. As children, they shared the same classrooms, and were sweethearts through their high school and college years. After they graduated, however, they followed their careers to different states, both married others, both had two children, and then later both divorced. And yes, there is a storybook ending: in 1985, they rediscovered each other and got married. "Oh, it was like going home and marrying the guy next door," Marilyn laughed. "We had kept in contact with Christmas cards, but to find each other again, after all we had done, was wonderful." In the thirty years between high school and marriage, they both had plenty of interesting experiences. Marilyn graduated from Vassar College in New York with a degree in mathematics in 1958. She moved to San Fransisco and worked for Shell Oil Company as a computer programmer. There she met her first husband, who was a student at Stanford. They married in 1959 and moved to Portland for his medical school. Over the next few years, they lived in various West Coast towns as she raised their children (Eric and Gretchen) and taught both computer programming and recorder playing. She was also a member of a 35 piece recorder (it's a clarinet-like musical instrument) ensemble at Reed College when they lived in Portland. In 1971, she divorced, then got a masters degree in psychology and, in 1976, moved with her children to Bainbridge Island, near Seattle. In the meantime, John graduated from the University of Idaho, taught music at schools in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and then returned to the UI to graduate with a master's degree in music, with emphasis on trombone performance, in 1963. He married the music teacher from the schools of nearby Sandpoint, Idaho. They had two children, Anne-Marie and M. Orien. For the next ten years, he taught music in schools throughout the Inland Northwest, then later worked as a property manager, repaired musical instruments, and gave private music lessons. But he kept those jobs to underwrite his true love: performing as a member of the Spokane Symphony. For 37 years, until his retirement in 1999, John played trombone (and occasionally tuba or euphonium) for the symphony. "I loved being part of the symphony," he said. "I was getting paid--not a lot, but something--for what is one of my life's great joys, something I would have gladly done for free." After Marilyn and John married, they tried a long-distance marriage. She was reluctant to leave Bainbridge Island, and he did not want to give up his seat in the Spokane Symphony. However, in 1990, Marilyn moved to Spokane where she worked as a counselor for the YWCA and then in 1991 was hired by Washington State University to work in the Spokane cooperative extension office. She was hired to work on a community empowerment project with families in the west-central neighborhood in Spokane, teaching home management and life skills. "I was hired to be a change agent," she said. "It has been--and still is--rewarding work, spiritually satisfying." In 1996, due to John's declining health, they developed an interest in organic food. They read the issue of National Geographic magazine that included mention of MaryJane Butters and Paradise Farm Organics in their hometown of Moscow. Later they met a Paradise Farm stockholder in Spokane and got a catalog from her. "I started ordering food from MaryJane," Marilyn said. "We decided to become stockholders. The decision was intuitive, not rational, but it was the right thing to do." "I am very glad we decided to become stockholders," she continued. "I like to feel that our money is invested in developing sustainable farming practices and organic food sources. And as a backpacker, I like their food." "Besides, just like everyone, we want to leave the planet a little better than when we arrived." We now remember and celebrate the life of John Baker who died of cancer November 10, 2000. POST HUMUS (poem read by Marilyn Trail at John's memorial service) Scatter my ashes in my garden So I can be near my loves. Say a few honest words, sing a gentle song. Join hands in a circle of flesh. Please tell some stories about me Making you laugh. I love to make you laugh. When I've had time to settle, and green gathers into buds, remember I love blossoms bursting in spring. As the season ripens remember my persistent passion. And if you come into my garden On an August afternoon Pluck a bright red globe, Let juice run down your chin and the seeds Stick to your cheek. When I'm dead I want folks to smile and say "That John, He sure was some tomato!"