Clear, 47° F
(March 6, 2004)
Jay Ralph Baxter, 38, of Filer, Idaho, lost his long fight against cancer on Saturday, March 6, surrounded by his loving family.
He was born on June 1, 1965, in Twin Falls, Idaho, to Albert Keith and Edna Baxter. He attended schools in Idaho and Wyoming, and graduated from Jeffrey City High School in Jeffrey City. He attended Northwest College in Powell. He worked for the Yellowstone Ranch in Sand Draw, at the Two Dot Ranch near Cody and in mining in Elko, Nev. He then moved to Buhl, Idaho, where he met and married Melissa Rhodes on Nov. 26, 1999.
Jay loved his family above all else. He loved hunting and fishing and enjoyed being in the outdoors. Even as his health failed, he still took his family hunting and fishing. He even taught sons Drew and Cody to become quite the experts at using their duck calls. Many cold mornings, son Bradley got up and went duck hunting with his dad.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa; children Bradley, Drew, Cody, and Katie Baxter of Filer, Idaho; daughter Jenna of Fort Collins, Colo.; his father Albert (Julie) Baxter of Cowley; his mother Edna (Lester) Morris of Elko, Nev.; his brothers, Dennis (Lori) Baxter and Edward (Amy) Baxter of Cody; sisters Loydrena (Bart) Kolacny of Powell and Christene Smith of Filer, Idaho; his stepbrother Les (Angela Morris) of Filer, Idaho; his brother, Aaron (Trish) Applehans of Wasilla, Alaska.; sister Amy (Shane) Fertig of Elko, Nev.; brother Rod Huff and sister Kathy Huff of Jerome, Idaho; and 31 nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents and his stepfather.
A funeral will be conducted at the Filer LDS church on Friday, March 12 at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at the Filer cemetery.
