Anna May "Anne" Baxter

Anna May "Anne" Baxter, 93, of North Platte departed this life on Oct. 20, 2020, at Linden Court in North Platte. Anne was born on Feb. 9, 1927, to John and Bertha Schumacher Stewart in Edgar. She grew up in Edgar where her father was a dentist and then a pharmacist. After losing her father to leukemia when she was 11 years old, she and her brothers helped their mother in the Rexall Drug Store that her family owned. She always spoke fondly of her upbringing with her three older brothers in Edgar, which was a thriving small town with an outstanding business community, fed in part by the presence of both the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Railroads. Starting in the eighth grade, Anne played organ for six years for the Presbyterian Church in Edgar, where she also sang in the choir. After graduating as valedictorian from Edgar High School, Anne attended Doane College in Crete where she played in the drum corps. She taught school for one year in Superior and then headed to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, where she studied home economics at the ag college on east campus. She met her future husband, Neal Baxter, at a church event near the UNL campus and they became better acquainted when they both sang in the Second Presbyterian Church choir. On June 11, 1950, Anne and Neal were married in Edgar and spent their first year of married life in Lexington, where Neal was assistant Dawson County Extension agent and Anne taught fourth grade at Bryan Elementary School. They then moved to North Platte for Neal to become the Lincoln County Extension agent and to begin raising their family. They made their permanent home in North Platte, other than in 1966, when they moved their family to Madison, Wisconsin, for Neal to earn his master's degree. That year, Anne became involved in a research project that involved teaching "new math" to sixth graders. While in North Platte, Anne and Neal were very active in their First Presbyterian Church, where they both sang in the choir and served as state skippers for Mariners and as sponsors for senior high youth fellowship. Anne was active in extension club, home ec club and PEO. She made many close friendships through her involvement in those organizations. In 1975, Anne briefly returned to Lincoln to complete her degree, after which she was a substitute teacher, covering kindergarten through high school in every school in town. Anne was a devoted and loving wife, mother and grandmother, while also finding time to give back to her church and community. She helped organize the North Platte Genealogical Society and served as its first president. She also chaired the playground committee for the Storyland Zoo, a Rotary project. She and her husband, Neal, enjoyed many memorable trips together, many of which were to foreign countries. Anne will always be remembered as a loving and loyal friend to many, looking for the positive in any situation and looking to share her gift of humor with others whenever given the opportunity. She was preceded in death by her husband, Neal; her parents; brothers, William (Grechen) Stewart, Paul (Molly) Stewart and Frank (Suzy) Stewart; and grandson, Craig Baxter. Anne is survived by her four sons, Stewart (Lisa), Kim (Nancy), Brian and Paul, all of North Platte; grandson, Logan (Alison) Baxter and granddaughter Haley Baxter of Kearney; granddaughter, Mikaela (David) Meagher of Lincoln; granddaughter, Elizabeth (Monte) Williams of Charlotte, North Carolina; grandson, Brandon Baxter of Hastings; great-granddaughter, Eloise Marie Meagher; two nephews; and three nieces. Memorials are suggested to North Platte Rotary Club and First Presbyterian Church. Graveside services for family and burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, Fort McPherson National Cemetery, near Maxwell. Visitation will be from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home, which is in charge of arrangements.