August 25, 1955 – July 11, 2025

I lost my best friend the other day, July 11, 2025. Andra Lynn Baker was born August 25, 1955, at Okmulgee Memorial Hospital to Fred and Helen (Moore) Baker, and big brother Ronnie. We met when we were seven, when they moved from their Roosevelt Elementary neighborhood to my Wilson one. Kennedy was still the handsome, hopeful president. The Vietnam uprising hadn’t really kicked in yet, and the Beatles hadn’t made it to America. Kennedy had just challenged NASA to put a man on the moon “before the decade was out,” but the first space walk was still two years in the future. The engineers were still using slide rules…

At Wilson, I was one of the few girls that preferred playing football and kickball with the guys – no jump rope or playing house for me. Then, Andra showed up, and she showed me up. Who did she think she was?! We soon had our first fight, over a football. When recess was over and kids were filing in, Mrs. Clay made us sit out on the steps ‘til we worked out our differences. So we decided we’d never be on opposite teams again, and our first fight became our last.

Due to the tumultuous 70’s, she and I attended Okmulgee High School through sophomore year, then we transferred to Morris where we graduated in 1973.

I had taught Andra to play tennis when we were 12 or so. When she went to OSU, the tennis coach saw her playing and offered her a spot on the team. But there was a catch – the practices would interfere with her science labs, and the coach said she couldn’t do both. So due to those pesky labs, she chose not to play tennis. But it still continued to play an important role in her life, playing in city leagues until she was 57 1/2, and her feet finally said “Enough already!

Andra was always hilariously, exhaustingly, funny, her brain was so sharp, her wit was “Robin Williams” – fast, and she was so fearless-she liked to go up to the perfect strangers, slap them on the back like she knew them, and say, “Hey, how are you?” then act all embarrassed and apologetic when they turned around and they “weren’t who she thought.”

Once as seniors, we were supposed to do an oral book report. My report was on Orwell’s “1984”, and she did hers on a Nancy Drew book! Another time, was eating Milk Duds before class, and she covered her teeth with them. When the teacher came in, she smiled really big and said, “Hi!” Now, I can’t eat Milk Duds without laughing.

So many of her phrases made it into our everyday lives. I have to tell you, we were in a class doing our work, and we overheard the teacher say “Well, that’s what most people does.” Luckily, this was not English class! For 50 years now, I say that phrase at least twice a week, and I credit Andra for keeping it alive.

Andra’s college career was interrupted by a 3-year stint in the Army. She earned a Master of Science Degree in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, graduating summa cum laude in 1987. She was a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Cognitive -Behavioral Therapist, studying with Dr Albert Ellis, originator of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). She had her own practice for many years.

Andra was a 3-time cancer survivor, and while she could no longer work full-time, she still became a fierce advocate for cancer survivors, sharing the CBT skills she used to successfully cope with their multitude of potentially self-destructive and defeating emotions associated with cancer.

Andra was a published poet, ardent Joni Mitchell fan, member of Gilda’s Club North Texas in Dallas, and the Anderson Network, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She was also a delegate to the Lance Armstrong Foundation Summit in Austin Texas, and a contributor to “Cure” Magazine.

We aren’t aware of any surviving family members, but she touched countless lives, both professionally and personally. Special friends include Jenee, Lori, and my family and me, Sarah Doan Schmitz.

Andra was one in a million, and she will be greatly missed. We had a private celebration of her life on Aug. 25, her 70th birthday.

“We Are Star Dust We Are Golden And we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the Garden” – Joni Mitchell