Alfred Baxter

Baxter, Alfred- Argonomist
Alfred J. Baxter
Age 92, died at his home in Wilmington, Ohio on May 19, 2013, leaving behind his wife- Eleanor, four children- Daniel Baxter, New York City, Tim (Sue Maddron) Baxter, Eugene, OR, Mary (Bill) Taylor, Wilmington, Ohio, and Faith (Robert) Likins, Wilmington, Ohio, five granddaughters- Bevin, Katie, Jill, Maggie and Bailey, brother- John Baxter, sister- Juanita Timmons, a beloved cat and dog, and a lifetime of unconditional love and service to others.  A Wilmington resident for 59 years, Alfred was part of the "Greatest Generation" that carried America through the Great Depression and World War II.  Raised on his small family farm in Van Wert, Ohio, Alfred served in the US Army as a Sherman Tank Instructor.  After the war, he received his B.S. Degree in Agronomy from The Ohio State University on the GI Bill of Rights, and thereafter worked in the O.S.U.'s Extension Office as a County Agricultural Agent, briefly in Mercer County, and beginning in 1954, in Clinton County.  In 1962, he earned his M.S. degree in agronomy from Ohio State, and was subsequently named associate professor.  Capping his career in 1977, he was named Environmental Science Administrator for the United States Department of Agriculture, creating the first agriculural land-use plan for the state.  After retiring in 1979, he continued part-time as a consultant, helping farmers grow better crops.  In 1980, he was tapped by the governor as the agricultural expert in a trade mission to the People's Republic of China.
In 1948, Alfred married Eleanor Louise Kimble of Lima, Ohio, a registered nurse who, sight unseen, had written him during the war as part of the homeland effort to support the troops.  Their union of 65 years eventually produced four children whose lives in turn reflected their parent's values of love and service to others.  A man of deep faith who practiced tolerance for all and championed public education, Alfred was a steadfast member of the Wilmington Church of Christ, serving as deacon, elder, and Sunday School Teacher.
Alfred and his family thank the wonderful staff at the Foster J. Boyd Regional Cancer Center and Community Care Hospice for their compassionate and attentive care.  A Brief memorial service will be held Wednesday, May 22, 2013 the Wilmington Church of Christ, 909 West Locust Street, Wilmington.  Funeral arrangements by the Fisher-Edgington Funeral Home, Wilmington.  The family request no flowers, and if so desired, memorials may be sent to the Community Care Hospice, the Clinton County Humane Society, or the Wilmington Church of Christ Youth Fund.

---