Bette Baxter

Bette Lynette Baxter, 97, of Eau Claire, passed away peacefully Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at River Pines in Altoona under the care of St. Croix Hospice.

On November 20, 1920, Bette Lynette Jendrzejcyk was born in Heffron, WI. Bette was the 12th of 13 children born to Jan and Maryanna Jendrzejcyk. She grew up on a small family farm near Wild Rose, WI.

Bette attended and graduated from the Stevens Point Public High School. After her graduation, she moved to Chicago and went to business school. When she graduated from there, Bette worked for a bank in the Chicago Loop.

While working in Chicago she met the love of her life, a young man from French Lick, IN. His name was Duane Baxter. During their courtship, Duane enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was sent to the European Theater for World War II. When the war ended in Europe, Duane was sent back to the States to await re-assignment to the Pacific Theater. Bette and Duane survived the first part of the War and decided to get married then, in spite of the upcoming re-assignment. One war time apart was enough!

While on their honeymoon in 1945, President Truman authorized the A bomb attack on Japan. Thank God, World War II ended! With no re-deployment to worry about, Bette and Duane were now excited to move on with their lives together.

Bette and Duane moved to PA and then to Ohio before settling in Eau Claire in 1950 where they had five children together. They were lifetime members of Saint Patrick’s Catholic parish.

In the summer of 1958, tragedy struck their family when Duane died as a result of injuries he sustained in a car accident while the family was on vacation. Bette then became mother and father for her five children who were all under the age of 12. She saw to it that her kids would be involved in many things. She was always one of the parents that were there to support whatever the endeavor was, including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Drum and Bugle Corps parents groups could always count on her help.

Bette also had a strong work ethic. While raising her family, she worked as a bank teller at the Community State Bank for many years. She later worked for the WI Bureau of Public Instruction and retired from there in May of 2012 at age 91.

Bette was preceded in death by her husband Duane, her parents, and all of her brothers and sisters.

Bette is survived by her children Bill (Joanie) Baxter, Lynette Hanson, John (Shari) Baxter, Joe Baxter, and Bob (Terri) Baxter; all of her grandchildren, Angie (Karl) Olson, Amy (Jim) Peters, Lisa (Scott) Sarazin, Jeff (Courtenay) Hanson, Jeanine Baxter, Christopher (Missy) Baxter, Justin (Amy) Bacon, Marisa Ring, Vanessa Baxter, Jenna Baxter, and Andy Baxter; she is further survived by 27 great grandchildren.

A visitation will be held Sunday, October 28 from 4-7pm at Stokes, Prock, and Mundt Funeral Chapel at 535 S Hillcrest Blvd Altoona, WI. A Celebration of Life will be held Monday, October 29, 2018 at 10:30 AM at Sacred Heart-St. Patrick Parish at 322 Fulton St, Eau Claire, WI with a luncheon to follow. Reverend Brian Jazdzewski will be officiating. Friends may visit up to one hour before the service.

In lieu of flowers, family would prefer memorials to either Regis Catholic School Foundation-Library Fund or Sisters of Saint Benedict Retirement Fund.
Stokes, Prock & Mundt Funeral Chapel in Altoona, is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences can be left at https://www.stokesprockandmundt.com.