Baker City, Baker County, Oregon
B. Irene Baxter, 82, of Baker City, died Nov. 12, 2005, at her home.
There will be a celebration of her life at 2 p.m. Thursday at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Pastor Jon Privett of the First Church of the Nazarene will officiate. Private burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Friends are invited to join the family for food and fellowship afterward in the Blue Mountain Room of the Sunridge Inn, 1 Sunridge Lane.
Irene was born at Oakland, Calif., in 1923 to Dave and Ella Abercrombie. She spent many of her younger years traveling the Western United States with her family. She often spoke of the many experiences they had, including attending 13 schools in the first grade. The experience helped her develop a positive attitude and outlook on life. The family finally settled at Toutle Lake, Wash., where she was a cheerleader for a time.
She met her husband, Ray Baxter, at Castlerock, Wash., when she was 17. The couple were married at Spokane, Wash., in 1944 after his service in the Marshall Islands in World War II.
They both enjoyed a spirit for adventure and had many of them during their time together, starting with his Harley Davidson. After his discharge from the military and many years living at Astoria, they moved to Baker City where they raised their three children.
Irene enjoyed many hobbies during her life, including handcrafts, camping with their friends and family around the Northwest, reading, square dancing with the “Crazy 8s” club, going to coffee with her friends, and above all, her devotion to God and her family.
Irene was employed in a wide variety of jobs during her life, including fighter-wing fabrication, fuel tank operator, switchboard operator, waitress, 23 years as a cook for the Baker School District and ending with many years of service at Pioneer Bank.
“Irene will always be deeply treasured and her sense of humor, positive attitude, upbeat personality and love of family and Christ will always leave her as our role model,” her family said. “We will miss her.”
Survivors include her son, Gary, and his wife, Bonnie, of Baker City, and their children, Amy and Jimmy Gandy of Willits, Calif., Julie and Mark Matoza of Sparks, Nev., Heather and Nate Sherman of Phoenix, Ariz., and Ryan and Tina Baxter of North Power; her son, Glen Baxter, and his wife, Teresa, of Bend and their children, Angie and Matt Slothower of Redmond, Casey and Carrie Baxter of Houston and Jordan Baxter of Bend; her daughter, Susan Myers, and her husband, Mike, of Baker City, and their children, Samantha Myers and her fiance, Toby Gangler, of Hermiston, and Mandy Myers of Baker City and her fiance, Kevin Lane of Klamath Falls; nine great-grandchildren; her sister and brother-in-law, Rosalie and Loren Cheney of Gooding, Idaho; a brother and sister-in-law, John and Barbie Abercrombie of Roseburg; her sister-in-law, Genie Abercrombie of McKinleyville, Calif.; her brother-in-law, Al McGowan of Gooding, Idaho; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Gracie; her brother, Laurance “Buddy”; and her husband of 46 years, Ray.
Memorial contributions may be made to Heart & Home Hospice of Baker City, the American Cancer Society or a charity of one’s choice through Gray’s West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City, Herald, November 18, 2005
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor