Thomas "Tom" Baxter
Thomas “Tom” Baxter, 69, of rural Waukon died Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at his home. Funeral services were held Monday, June 15 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. Mark Osterhaus officiating. Burial with military rites was at St. John The Baptist - West Ridge Cemetery, rural Waukon, across the road from Tom’s house. Memorials and cards may be sent to Beth Baxter, 190 West Ridge Drive, Waukon, IA 52172.
Thomas John Baxter was born April 11, 1951 in Waukon, the son of John Thomas and Marjorie Ann (Slattery) Baxter. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary’s Hanover Catholic Church, attended country school until fifth grade, and graduated from Waukon High School in 1969. Tom enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he served from 1971 to 1975, attaining the rank of sergeant and seeing a tour of duty in Vietnam as a telecommunications specialist. Following his discharge he returned to Allamakee County.
While he was a patient in a hospital in La Crosse, WI, Tom developed an interest in a particularly dedicated nurse and on his discharge asked her for a date. Tom’s interest continued but she had told her parents that she would never marry anyone except a knight who rode up to her on a white horse. After hearing this, Tom talked some friends into lending him a white horse and with presents in hand rode up the driveway where Beth Allison Lewis lived. The two were married July 12, 1980 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Caledonia, MN.
Tom’s working career began by hauling canned milk for the Calhoun Co-op Creamery. Later he hauled milk by truckload and worked in various areas of testing before eventually becoming the creamery manager, a position he held from 1981 until his retirement in 2017. During this time he created “The Great Cheese Store” and began several other initiatives that helped the creamery grow.
Tom was always active in his community. He was a 4-H member as a young man and served as a leader after he had a family of his own. He served multiple terms as a St. Patrick School Board member and later as an Allamakee Community School District Board member. He was also a member of the VFW and currently served on the Union Township Rural Fire Board.
Throughout his life Tom was a friend to all and he enjoyed nothing more than their company, whether that be playing euchre, watching Iowa Hawkeye wrestling, Chicago Cubs baseball, or telling one of his many, many stories, often centered on his Irish heritage. He loved his family and everyone in his neighborhood on West Ridge.
Surviving to cherish his memory are his wife, Beth; his children: Betsy, Brian (Laura) and Kelly Baxter and Carrie (Mike) Welch, all of Waukon; five grandchildren: Lucy and Ruby Welch and Jacob, Miley and Maddie Baxter; his siblings: Sue (Sam) Bechen of Dubuque, Tony (Mary) Baxter of Waukon, Ann (Mitch) Kunkel of Solon, Mike (Kris) Baxter of Colorado Springs, CO, Katie (Jerry) Weipert of Waukon, Jim (Charlene) Baxter of Waukon, Jerry Baxter of Waukon, Linda (Terry) Fehr of Newton and Barb (Ray) Vitense of Tipton; his brother-in-law, Tony Knight of Iowa City; and Beth’s siblings, Helen (George) Hill of La Crescent, MN, Jean (Karl) Stokman of Eitzen, MN and Barbara Droivold of Spring Grove, MN; as well as many nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Tom is preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Peg Knight and infant sister Nancy; and a brother-in-law, Roger Lewis.
Casketbearers were Brian Baxter, Mike Welch, Jeff Sommer, Jim Baxter, Tony Baxter, Jerry Sweeney, Jacob Baxter and Kelly Baxter. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
