Gail Marie Baxter

Born April 9, 1941 in Muskegon, MI. Gail married Fred Baxter and had been a homemaker for 18 years. By the early 80’s she was employed through Muskegon Community Mental Health Services where she later retired.

In the early 60’s, while a resident of Madison, Tennessee, she enrolled at the University of Tennessee Commercial Arts Extension Program in Nashville.

Gail was a natural born artist! Her love of Michigan was reflected in her paintings often portraying Lake Michigan’s shoreline, wildflowers and rivers. She had her own style of creativity using water, acrylic, oils, and puff paint. She would sit for hours absorbed in her doodling and sketching techniques getting primed for the final masterpiece, which could take months to achieve. Along with her paintings she also loved crocheting, ceramics (she owned her own kiln), rock painting, and miniature bird house crafts.

Gail also designed and decorated Christmas trees for the Frauenthal Center’s Annual “Festival of the Lights” Fundraiser.

Locally Gail enjoyed volunteering time at the Arts Emporium and socializing over coffee with friends at the Book Nook, often times drawing hilarious caricatures of the present clientele!

Gail was the epitome of a fun-loving Grandma! She loved time spent with the grandkids. Taking them pier fishing, crayfish hunting, rock painting, and gold digging – her version of tossing loose change in the sand (without getting caught) for the kids to discover.

Gail hosted all holiday dinner gatherings, cooking up scrumptious hand me down recipes, until her little red brick mansion could no longer accommodate her growing family.

In these later years, a little less agile, and more frail Gail continued to paint, just not so much. She still enjoyed listening to her favorite musicians, Janis Joplin and Leonard Cohen, really loud.

More recently Gail, still on a third shift time frame, became mesmerized watching anything relating to the paranormal. She declared it was new and interesting – until it was too scary!

Her new favorite television show has been the “Yellowstone” series. Totally addicted! She binge watched it!

Gail was a loving, spirited, wise, funny, compassionate, and highly generous mom, grandma, and great grandma. He favorite quotes were – “It’s only money”, and “Some people have more crust than a bakery”. Gail was always available to lend a listening ear to the latest drama issue, offer a loaner car, or would share her high speed internet when other family computers crashed before finalizing college assignments.

Gail leaves behind her daughter, Elena (Steve) Green, of Whitehall, and son, Mike Baxter, of Whitehall; grandchildren- Josh (Melissa) Green, of Spring Lake, Jade (Nate) McMackin, of New Era, Chad Baxter, of Hart, Amber Baxter, of Ludington, and Crystal (Andrew) Heykoop, of Shelby; great grandchildren – Lilly and Chase Maxson, Rachael Keykoop, Dominic and Wesley Green, Jace and Charlotte McMackin, and Serenity Trevino.

Gail was preceded in death by son, Fred (Betty) Baxter.

A Memorial Service, with a catered luncheon to follow, will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at Ever Rest Funeral Home and Chapel. A Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service.

From the family:

Mom- I could spend the remainder of my retirement singing your praises. While being heartbroken realizing its bittersweet that every one of us leaves our earth family to return to the heavenly realms. The angels are rejoicing one of their own has come home. Your family loves you so much and you will be so missed.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.EverRestFuneralHomeandChapel.com for the Baxter family.