Nancy Leora (Adolphson) Baker, 85, passed away on March 27th at Ridgeview Nursing Home in Le Sueur. She was born in St. Peter on January 2, 1936 to Reuben and Marie (Rudbeck) Adolphson. She graduated from St. Peter High School and Gustavus Adolphus College. She earned a Master's degree from Minnesota State, Mankato. She was a professor of physical education and health at Gustavus Adolphus College for 43 years.

She married Richard John Baker on February 20, 1954, in St. Peter, where they lived their entire married life until building a home on Lake Washington in 2002. Nancy continued to live there even after Richard passed away in 2011. She moved into Primrose Retirement Community in Mankato in 2019.

She is a legend in the development of girl's and women's gymnastics in the state of Minnesota. She organized gymnastics workshops for teachers, coaches, and participants beginning in the 1960's. She started the Gustavus women's gymnastics team from scratch and turned it into a dynasty. Under her direction, Gustavus sponsored the first ever state college gymnastics meet in 1966. Gustavus won the state title 15 of the next 17 years. As the sport grew, the team was a mainstay in regional and national small college competitions. She led Gustavus to seven small college national championships between 1982 and 1992. In her thirty-year coaching career, she coached five National All-Around Champions, 14 Individual Event Champions, and 34 All-Americans. She was named Division 3 National Coach of the year four times, in 1982, 1984, 1989, and 1992.

Nancy was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Citation from Gustavus in 1981, the prestigious Edgar Carlson Award for Innovative and Creative Teaching from Gustavus in 1983, and the college's Community Service Award in 1990. She was elected to Gustavus Athletic Hall of Fame and the University of Minnesota's Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of her being a pioneer in women's gymnastics in the state.

In 1982 she was elected to the St. Peter School Board where she served for fifteen years, the last five as chairperson. She was a cofounder and president of the St. Peter Education in 1988. She was the District 13 representative to the MSHSL from 1982-1990. She was appointed by Governor Arne Carlson to the Governor's Advisory Commission on Sports and served from 1991-1994. She was also featured in Ross Bernstein's 2003 book, Legends and Legacies: Celebrating a Century of Minnesota Coaches.

Nancy enjoyed dancing and her social dance classes at Gustavus were extremely popular with students. She was a talented musician and could play four instruments. She always credited her high school band director, Earl Erickson, for developing her love of music. She enjoyed playing saxophone for the local big band, the Echoes.

She is servived by her daughter, Geri (Don) Halbert and her son, Paschal Baker. Her sister, Donna Stapleman, sister-in-law Audrey Adolphson, grandchildren, Mark (Sarah) Halbert, Paul (Danielle) Halbert, Molly (Eric) Kunkel, Shelby (Kurt Gostomczik) Baker, great grandchildren Stella, Henry, Scarlet and Duke Halbert and Isla Gostomczik.

A Celebrationn of Life will be planned at a later date.

Memorials are preferred to the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota, where her great grandchildren love to learn and play.