Winifred "Winnie" Baxter

Winifred “Winnie” Eilene Baxter, 97, passed away at 2:45 am on Sunday, May 21, 2023, at Waterford Place Health Campus. The daughter of George and Pearl (McCarter) Smith, she was born in Kokomo on January 2, 1926, and married Robert Baxter, Sr. on May 16, 1944.

As a child she would sing and yodel, and was asked to try out for a singing contest at the local radio station. When she stood up in front of the microphone, nothing would come out and she was completely mortified. The song was: Cowboy Sweetheart. She, however, continued yodeling to her family, until she turned 96.

Winnie attended Kokomo High School and later worked at Reliance during WWII making parachutes for the Army. The building in which she had worked was the same building, the Delco north plant, that she would later retire as a 31 year Delco Electronics employee. She was the past president of Del Ray, loved playing golf in her free time and played in several golf leagues. Winnie was an avid reader of history, loved to cook, sew, and most of all loved her family and friends. She was baptized in 2003 with her son-in-law, Arden and daughter, Jan.

Winnie loved to travel and visited countries including Japan, Singapore, China, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, and cruised across the Caribbean, Alaska, and the Panama Canal.

Survivors include children, Caroll Coan, Anderson, Jan (Arden) Draeger, of Kokomo; grandchildren, Colbey (Greg) Warren, of Littleton, CO, Cortney (Jason) Murphy, of Lakewood, CO, Michael (Rosa) Baxter, of Mesa, AZ, Patrick Coan, of Anderson, Darcy (Bob) Hughes, of Chester, NJ; great grandchildren, Whitney Warren, Josie Warren, Micah Warren, Aspen Murphy, McKinley Murphy, Brandon Baxter, Gracie Baxter, Ella Hughes, Harry Hughes, and Connor Hart, and many nieces and nephews and special friend, Tilly.

She was preceded in death by her parents; Robert Baxter, Sr., son, Robert Baxter, II, son-in-law, Gene Coan, granddaughter, Kindra (Draeger) Hart; brother, Paul “Buddy” Smith, and sister, Wanda Waltman.

We were so blessed to have had the staff at Waterford place and Paradigm Hospice caring for Mom. Thank you for your love, support and compassionate care. You made her life worth living.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, June 2, 2023, at Shirley & Stout Funeral Home, 1315 W. Lincoln Rd. Kokomo, with Pastor Charlie Riley officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memory Garden Cemetery. Friends are invited to visit with family from 11a.m until time of service Friday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Kingdom of Life Church or Disabled American Veterans. Messages of condolence may be left online at www.shirleyandstout.com. 

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