On Wednesday, June 24, 2015, after years of faithful service to God and his community, Reverend Herbert “Bert” Baxter, age 86 of Atikokan Ontario, passed away peacefully at the Atikokan General Hospital Extended Care Wing.
Bert was born on March 19, 1929 in St. Catharines Ontario after his parents Bert Sr. and Sarah, immigrated to Canada from Belfast Ireland and Glasgow Scotland. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Toronto where Bert Sr. worked as an instrument technician for Minneapolis Honeywell. Growing up in an era of financial and economic hardship, Bert left school in Grade 7 doing whatever was possible to contribute to the family’s needs.
At the age of 14, while going for a walk, Bert passed a boxing gym and walked in. That walk turned into fourteen years of boxing in different weight classes in venues such as Massey Hall and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and Madison Square Gardens in New York City.
At 16 years old, Bert met the love of his life, Lenora Sheridan. On July 12, 1947 the couple were married at the ages of 18 and 17 respectively. They were often told they were “too young” and things would never work out. How profoundly that was proven wrong. The couple remained solidly together for almost 61 years, until Lenora’s passing on February 3, 2008.
On December 31, 1957, Bert had a spiritual awakening that would change his life forever. On that date, he turned his life over to God and since that time, spent his entire life serving the Lord and his fellow man. In 1960, at the age of 31, Bert felt the “calling” by God to enter the ministry. While raising five children at the time, he and Lenora took a huge step of faith. He quit his job and enrolled in Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto. Every weekday for five years, Bert would be off early each morning to “bible school” as he called it. He secured a steady 5:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. job close to the family home which he would go to at the end of each school day. Following work, he would go home and complete his homework studies into the wee hours of the morning. During this time, on Christmas day 1961, the couple celebrated the birth of their sixth child. Bert continued this determined pace until his graduation in 1965. Following his graduation, Bert was told of a small church in Atikokan Ontario that was looking for a pastor. At that time, the couple had never heard of Atikokan but felt that if that’s where God was leading them, that’s where they would go.
Bert came to Atikokan on his own in May of 1965 for a two month period. After it was determined that the membership of First Baptist Church wanted him to be their full time pastor, the entire family moved to Atikokan on July 4, 1965. At that time, the family spoke of helping out with the church growth for about five years and then perhaps moving on to another location. The move in 1965 however turned out to be a move of permanency. Bert and Lenora loved and highly respected the members of the community and felt that God had long term plans for them. They spent their entire life helping anyone in need and serving their community in whatever way they could. Bert sat on the Board of Family & Children’s Services and also the Atikokan Board of Education. He collected clothing and other household items and routinely delivered van loads of such to those in need. He was renowned for helping those less fortunate and offering a hand up wherever possible, even when to do so would cause him personal hardship. Quite often he would arrive home around dinner time with a stranger in need, and joke with Lenora by saying, “Put another cup of water in the soup. We have company.” Despite the fact that the couple and all six children lived in one humbly sized home, Bert and Lenora often opened their home as temporary shelter to those in need. At times, there were over 20 people sleeping in the home; some in sleeping bags on the living room floor. This was the type of kindness and compassion Bert and Lenora had and felt for everyone.
Bert ministered at First Baptist Church for thirty-five years, retiring in 2000. After his retirement, the couple continued being faithful members of the church, helping wherever possible. Despite failing health, heart bypass surgery, strokes and leg amputations as the result of diabetes, Bert never lost his faith. Often, other individuals would remark that they went to visit with him to cheer him up and encourage him, but more than not left feeling that he had encouraged them moreso. He was truly a man that put God and others ahead of himself in every instance. Every day he would reiterate that no one person is better than another; that the key to happiness was putting the needs and desires of others ahead of your own, and that living a caring, compassionate and sacrificial life would reap only happiness in return. One of his favourite quotes from the scriptures was. “There are none righteous, no not one”. (Romans chapter 3, verse 10). This demonstrated his lifelong belief and conviction that we should love and help one another.
Bert oten referred to his six children as his "legacy" but lived to witness the miracle of that legacy increase by 85: 28 grandchildren, 55 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren. Each and every one of them held a special place in his heart.
Bert was pre-deceased by his parents Bert and Sarah Baxter (1974 & 2002 ), his loving wife Lenora (2008), daughter Cynthia (2012), brother Bill (2009), three infant sons (1956,1957, & 1958), great granddaughter Mya (2001) great granddaughter Samara (2004), and great grandson Mitchell (2006).
He is survived by son Dave Baxter (Sue), son Dan Baxter (Teri), son-in-law Hugh White (widower of daughter Cynthia, predeceased), son Bill Baxter, daughter Lenora-Lee Mesic (Frank), daughter Becky Strom (Glen), 82 grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, sister Mary Connolly, sister Mabel Willet (Rick), sister Anne Worr (Al) and brother Doug Baxter.
Visitation will be held at the First Baptist Church, 88 Maple Crescent, Atikokan Ontario on Monday, June 29th from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and on Tuesday, June 30th from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Little Falls Community Centre (ice surface) on Tuesday, June 30th at 1:00 p.m., with Pastor Pete Hawkins of Thunder Bay officiating.
Pallbearers are sons Dave, Dan and Bill Baxter, and sons-in-law Hugh White, Frank Mesic and Glen Strom.
Honorary pallbearers are George Gurnett, Don King, Nick Gushulak, Bobby Davidson, Don Gushulak and Tommy McMillan.
Due to the size of the Baxter family, the graveside service following the Celebration of Life, will be for family members only. Following the service, friends and family will gather at the Little Falls Community Centre where anyone wishing to express words of tribute will be welcome to do so.
In lieu of flowers, donation can be made to the First Baptist Church Helping Hand Fund, the Atikokan General Hospital Extended Care Wing or the charity of your choice.
“Well done thou good and faithful servant…enter now into the joy of thy Lord”
(Matthew chapter 25, verse 23)
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.8.18