By HDN Staff
ERMA BAXTER
CHESTER/CULBERTSON Erma Katherine Baxter, 90, died Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2002, at a Chester rest home of natural causes.
Visitation will be Wednesday afternoon at the Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester. Additional visitation will be Friday afternoon at Fulkerson Funeral Home in Sidney. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Culbertson. Burial will follow at the Hillside Cemetery in Culbertson.
Erma was born June 4, 1911, at Milnor, N.D., to Clifford and Laura (Gustafson) Foss. The Foss family moved to Brockton when Erma was 4. Her father farmed, worked on the railroad, and delivered mail. Her mother operated a boarding house and restaurant. Erma received her formal education at Brockton. She quit school her in junior year to help care for her younger twin siblings. In the few years that followed, she worked in the Mona community as a cook and housekeeper.
Erma married Everett A. Baxter on Nov. 16, 1935, at Andes. They made their home on a ranch near Culbertson, where Erma worked as a homemaker and mother of five. The ranch was their home for 50 years.
Following Everett's death in 1983, Erma moved to the Yellowstone Villa in Culbertson. She lived there until 1995, then moved to Chester to live with her daughter Judy. She moved into the Liberty County Nursing Home when her health began to fail in 2000.
During her years in Culbertson, Erma was very active at the Trinity Lutheran Church and the A.L.C.W. She was also a member of the Roosevelt Memorial Hospital Guild.
The Baxters enjoyed ranch life and stayed close to home. In the late 1980s, Erma made a memorable trip to the Grand Ole Opry with a group of Culbertson senior citizens.
In her younger years, Erma enjoyed dancing and card parties. Her favorite game was whist. In her quiet time at home, she made quilts for church and family members. She also made yarn-covered hangers. She was a good cook and will be remembered for her caramel rolls and chocolate chip cookies.
She was preceded in death by her husband and parents.
Survivors include her sons, Clarence (Georgia) Baxter of Big Sandy, Randal (Karen) Baxter of Culbertson, Roger (Melinda) Baxter of Chinook; daughters, Judy (Paul) Alisch of Chester and Bonnie (Richard) Vrooman of Proctor; brother, Clifford (Marjorie) Foss Jr. of Holden, Mo.; sister, Corrine (Paul) Amestoy; 17 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the Trinity Church or a donor's choice.
