The Baxter Family - Family Histories

     G. W. Baxter, 1829-1913, buried in Coleman, and family moved to Texas in the early 1900's from Fort Payne, Alabama, including Jim, 1851-1938; Janey, later married Jim Wester (see James A. Wester); Pete S., 1870-1954. Their first stop was around Rockwall County, then to Coleman County in 1906. At this time, Pete married Josie Harris, 1883 - 1910, and started farming just east of the Red Bank School. Their children: Stella, 1906, and Iva, 1908. After Josie passed away in 1910, Pete married Leda F. Spradling, 1885 - 1974, from Wolf City. While still at Red Bank, three sons were born: Raymond, December 23, 1913; Frank, November 28, 1915; and Woodrow, October 6, 1917. In 1920, Pete and family moved west of Coleman to a 154 acre farm they purchased from the Wood family. Here two more sons were born: Pete J., June 6, 1920, and James, August 28, 1925. Woodrow and family still own part of the original 154 acres where they now live. Others remaining in Coleman County from the above list are Buddy Wester; Patsy (Harper) Morgan; Leona Hughen; Mrs. Beulah (Wester) Williamson and Iva (Baxter) Leist. Also, Ruth Kennedy, Josie Barkemeyer, George (see J. A. Norris) and C. D. Gould, all children of Stella Baxter and Dewey Gould. (See William Lyman Gould).

     In the 30's I worked some on the Witt Ranch on Hords Creek, north of our home, and met a man by the name of Bill Laws. He played a fiddle and I, a tenor banjo, and Earl McBride, who also lived on the ranch, played a guitar. We got together and started playing for country dances and sometime would make as high as $3.00 per night. We played some at the "Bloody-Bucket," but mostly people on the farms would have Saturday night dances. It was at one of these dances, at Earl Greaves' farm, that I met my future wife, Geneva Greaves. I was with the Texas 36th Division Co. B., 142nd Inf. On April 1, 1943, we sailed for Oran, Africa, getting ready for the invasion at Salerno, Italy. Our second beachhead was at Anzio, Italy, then on to Southern France, and across Germany, and almost back to Brenner Pass when the war was ended, May 8, 1945. Each year in Coleman at the armory, we have a reunion of Co. B, and men come from all over the U.S.

     After the great welcome back to Coleman, Geneva and I married, October 22, 1945. My first job was a driver with the Coleman Fire Department. My brothers scattered out to different parts of Texas. At present, Ray and Pete, Jr. are in Houston, Frank in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Jim at Anson. Geneva and I have lived on the Baxter farm since 1955, and have reared six children: Richard, Virginia, Robert, Bruce, Laura and Wesley. (See Lawrence Decatur Greaves). All finished school in the Talpa-Centennial school district and one, Wesley, is still in the county. After working for the Fire Department and farming a while, I started work for the Corps of Engineers, Hords Creek Lake, in 1949, and have been with them since.

pictures to be added

Baxter family in 1900: Janey, Becky, Jim, G. W., P. S.

Woodrow and Geneva Baxter and Family, 1982

Stella, Frank, Woodrow, Raymond and Iva [front], Leda and Pete S. Baxter [rear]

Frank, Pete and Jim Baxter