Mary Jane Baird

Mary Jane Baird, age 73, of Carthage, Missouri, passed on peacefully after a long illness, on Monday February 23, 2026 surrounded by her family. Mary was born in Jay, Oklahoma to Fred Riner and Ollie (White)Riner as a member of the Cherokee Nation. Her folks eventually settled their family in Carthage where Mary grew up with her 4 siblings and proudly graduated from Carthage High School with the class of 1970. She wed the love of her life, Gary Baird of Carthage, in 1973 and they began their family a year later. Our loving mom had many connections in the community and was a member of the Carthage Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and a faithful servant of Jehovah for 53 years. She worked with the wonderful folks at the Sunshine Children’s Home and the former Drake Healthcare. Mom always gravitated in life towards those who seemed to have the hardest challenges and she always felt like that’s exactly where she should be. She wanted everyone to feel loved and seen and with her gift to empathize and her selfless patience she shared that love with so many others over the years being “Nana” to anyone under 40, “Aunt Jane” to many nieces and nephews and “Miss Mary” to many others who were so lucky to have met her. Mary is survived by her three children, Sara Baird, Sam Baird and Stephanie Edwards(husband Nick) all of Carthage. She is also survived by the greatest joys of her life, her 4 grandchildren, Leo, Isabella, Aidan and Nadia and one little grandson Azra. Her siblings Arlene Turner(Mike), Jim Riner(Dianna) and Frank Riner(Shari) all survive her. Mary is preceded in death by her husband of 44 years Gary, her parents,her sister Becky Adams and an infant brother Andrew. A memorial service will be held on Saturday March 28, 2026 at 2:00pm at the Carthage Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses,1608 Robert Ellis Young Drive. Please join us in honoring a beautiful Mom and an extraordinarily selfless human being.

Arrangements are under the direction of Ozark Memorial Park of Joplin, MO