Helen Marie Baxter

Helen Marie Baxter
Sept. 13, 1920-Aug. 16, 2010

Mom was born in Belmond Iowa to Ollie and Helma Tomson. She was the third oldest of five siblings. Helen attended schools in Iowa and South Dakota, graduating from Everly HS in 1937. She married Leverne Earl "Pete" Baxter on May 30, 1940 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Belmond, Iowa. They ran a bakery in Dows, Iowa until they moved to Los Angeles, California in 1942. Pete went to work for Lockheed Aircraft building P-38's. Their son, Perry, was born January 26, 1943 in Los Angeles. Pete went into the Army and Helen moved back to Iowa to be with relatives. After the war they moved back to Southern California and settled in Westchester close to LAX airport. Pete started his career as a pilot with Flying Tigers and Helen went to work for the L.A. Examiner newspaper in the classified department. The family had a ski boat and went water skiing almost every weekend dad was home. Helen continued working for various newspapers retiring in the mid 70's. With her husband an airline pilot they traveled all over the world and lived in Tokyo, Japan for several months in the mid 50's. Helen had a very outgoing personality and was always the life of the party. In the mid 90's she was diagnosed with lung cancer and had half a lung removed, this never slowed her down. After her husband's death in 2000 we decided to move her to Merrill Gardens in Monroe, Washington where she made many new friends. In January of '09 we moved mom to the Rose Cottage in Everett where she remained until her passing. I would like to thank Susie and Lee at the Rose Cottage for the wonderful care they gave Helen. She was a 50 plus year member of Eastern Star.
Helen leaves a son, Perry Baxter and wife, Suzanne, of Snohomish, WA; brother, O.J. Tomson and wife, Pat, of Mason City, IA; three grandchildren, Julie Thomas (Brian), of Snohomish, Brian Baxter (Denise), of Kent, WA and Bradly Baxter (Tina), of Charleston, SC; six great-grandkids; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m., Wednesday, September 15, at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Snohomish. Her ashes will be interned at the family plot at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Belmond, Iowa next to her husband.