Mary Jane Baxter

Mary Jane (MJ) Fretwell Baxter, 91 years young, passed away peacefully at her home on January 24, 2025.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Texas with her family at a young age.  At just 17, she married and moved to Baxter Ranch in Bend, Texas, where she built a legacy of love, family, and service.  Mary Jane had a giving heart and a passion for cooking.  For many years, she made incredible meals from scratch three times a day, feeding her family, ranch hands, and anyone else who showed up at her table.  Her love language was food, and she delighted in feeding anyone who would eat, always setting out a tablecloth and place settings until the very end.

She adored her two boys and cherished her role as "Granny Jane" to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She spent countless hours playing Skipbo with her grandkids and teaching them life skills like sewing, painting, cooking, and table etiquette (whether they wanted to learn or not).

Her art career began at the ranch and flourished throughout her life.  She was a talented artist, and her work was displayed in galleries across Central Texas for years.  She served as the secretary for the Central Texas Cutting Horse Association for 17 years, was the Director of the Buchanan Dam Art and Crafts, and was a member of the Lampasas Art Gallery.

Mary Jane was also an entrepreneur at heart.  She owned and operated video rental stores in San Saba and Lampasas and ran MJ's Fabric Shop for 15 years.  There, she taught countless lessons in art, crocheting, knitting, and quilting.  After retirement, she continued to sew and perform alterations for the public, helping prom-goers, brides, and others feel beautiful for their most important moments.

Mary Jane was also a woman of quiet service.  In her later years, she cared for her older friends, offering rides to doctor's appointments, the grocery store, or anywhere they needed to go.  She was fiercely independent and deeply generous, always looking out for others.

Known for her straightforward personality, Mary Jane told it like it was, never sugarcoating her words but always making you feel loved.  She was the first to offer a compliment - whether on your hair or lipstick - and she kept up with her grandchildren's friends, remembering their names and greeting them warmly whenever she saw them.

She is survived by her two sons, Randy and his wife Donna Baxter of San Saba, Texas, and Stephen and his wife Sally Baxter of Bend, Texas; four grandchildren, Laura Terry, Dana Homeyer, Shane Baxter, and Savannah McCoury; nine great-grandchildren; her sister, Melissa Casbeer of Lampasas; numerous nieces and nephews and her longtime friend and companion, Wendell Jones of Lampasas.

She was preceded in death by her father, Clyde Fretwell; her mother, Billie Carpenter; her stepmother, Reba Fretwell; her sister, Suellen Samuels; her brother-in-law, Bob Samuels; her stepsister, Juanice Cunningham; her nephew, Glen Cunningham and her stepbrother, Charlie Simon.

A service to honor Mary Jane's life, legacy, and contributions will be held at Lampasas Methodist Church on Saturday, February 1, 2025,, at 2:00 p.m., with visitation an hour prior.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the Lampasas Methodist Church.