Martha Ruth (Saler) Baxter passed away May 4, 2018, following a long illness. Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, May 10 at Ankeny Funeral Home (1510 W. First Street Ankeny, IA 50023). Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at the funeral home.
Martha was born in Kansas City, KS on Nov. 30, 1930, to Charles Edward and Sarah Ella (Harris) Saler. She lived on the farm near Eudora, KS and attended the country school. She was married to John W. Baxter Jr. on June 22, 1952 in Eudora, KS. They lived in Kansas, Texas and Iowa. She held various job positions from grocery store clerk to factory worker. Her most cherished position was working with children; she had her own in-home daycare for many years. She raised five children before taking a job at Bourns, where she worked for several years before they closed in 1990. After that, she returned to her in home day care center.
Martha was always working with children. She loved teaching Sunday school, vacation bible school and other various church activities. She was a member of East Ankeny Baptist Church- now Cornerstone Baptist Church. She was a den mother for cub Scouts for several years. Martha also enjoyed embroidery and crochet work in her free time.
Martha is survived by four children: Kathy, Dee, Jackie and John; four grandchildren: Tracy, Dylan, Brad and Austin and five great grandchildren: Trevor, Trey, Lili, Isabella and Braxton along with an extended group who considered her fmaily. She is preceded in death by her husband of 59 years- John W. Baxter, Jr., her daughter, Marjorie (Baxter) Vance and her granddaughter, Tina Dickerson.
In lieu of flowers, memorial may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association in Martha’s name.
