Anytrea Baker, upbeat 'lunch lady' in Minneapolis schools, dies at 45 January 20, 2021 — 4:36pm Text size Copy shortlink: Anytrea Baker served up heaping portions of smiles and encouragement along with her school cafeteria meals. In a decade with the Minneapolis Public Schools as an onsite food service coordinator, she reveled in her role as an upbeat "lunch lady" who sought to be a friend and trusted adult. "She totally embodied why we are here," said Omar Guevara-Soto, assistant director of the school system's food services. "Nurturing all through access to food." Baker died Dec. 10 after a severe asthma attack. She was 45. Most of Baker's career was spent at Bethune Community School in north Minneapolis, where she became known to multitudes of elementary school students as "Ms. A," a less-formal nickname that was easier to say than her first name, pronounced uh-NEE-tree-ah.