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William E. Baxter, 85

Blair native William E. Baxter, 85, of Madison, died Sept. 30, 2006, at the Countryside Home in Madison.

Funeral services were Wednesday, Oct. 4, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Norfolk. Interment was at the Blair Cemetery.

William E. Baxter was born Sept. 29, 1921, in Blair to Leroy and Margaret (Johns) Baxter. He attended Blair schools and graduated in 1939 from Blair High School.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Merchant Marines from July 14, 1944, to June 15, 1945, and he served on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

On March 26, 1948, he married Barbara M. Fischer in Shenandoah, Iowa. Mr. Baxter lived in Blair, Fremont, North Bend, Westminster, Colo., and Madison. He was a self-employed beekeeper and a licensed airplane pilot.

He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion and had been a member of the Melody Men Singers of Blair. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church.

He is survived by his children and their spouses, Sheila Baxter and Tony Carra of Castle Rock, Colo., Carol and Ted Mahan of Sourlake, Texas, Jody and Bob Preister of Humphrey, Bill and Pam Baxter of Aurora, Colo., and Bob Baxter of Jones, Okla.; 13 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; sister, Dorothy Baxter and special friend, Jack Groh, of New York, N.Y., and sisters and brothers- in-law, Iris and Melvin Hewett of Papillion, Marjorie and Russ Tuveson of Elm Grove, Wis., Maxine and Bob Langes of Bellingham, Wash., and Betty Tuttle of Rockwell, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara, in 2003; and a brother-in- law, Vern Tuttle.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~