Obituary of Baiba Vanags

Baiba Vanags obituary Baiba (Berzins) Vanags, age 79, passed away in her home on May 8, 2020, with her family by her side. Baiba was born in Riga, Latvia. Her family was forced to leave Latvia to escape Soviet oppression during WWII, and she spent her early childhood years in a Displaced Persons camp near Weiden, Germany. In 1949, Baiba, her parents, and great aunt and uncle settled in Louisville, KY, where her parents found work on a farm. Baiba relocated to Indianapolis, IN in 1956, when her father secured an engineering position with Ford Motor Company. She attended Shortridge High School and graduated in 1959. She then started studies at Butler University, was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and graduated with a B.S. in Biology and Zoology. She continued her studies and became a licensed medical technologist, with a specialization in microbiology. In 1964, she married Janis (John) Vanags, and their daughter was born a few years later. Baiba worked for Clarian Health System for over 40 years. Outside of work, she was an active member of the Latvian-American community, including Latvian Lutheran Church, folk dance troupe “Jautrais Paris”, Latvian choir and school. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Laura Ramanis with husband Ervins and two grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations in her memory may be made to Latvian Center Garezers at www.garezers.org.