Donna Jo Anne Baxter, 99, of Stronghurst, Ill., passed away at 8:20 a.m. on her 99th birthday, July 22, 2025, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington, Iowa.
Jo Anne was born July 22, 1926, in Bonaparte, Iowa, the daughter of Roger and Winona (Story) Hornbaker. On December 14, 1946, she married the love of her life, Harry A. Baxter, in Fort Madison, Iowa. He preceded her in death December 16, 1990.
Jo Anne was raised and educated in Bonaparte, where she graduated as valedictorian of her class. Following high school, she received her teaching certificate from the former Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa. She taught at a one room school in Van Buren County. After their marriage, she and Harry started their family and lived in Fort Madison, Iowa until they relocated to Stronghurst in 1961. She helped him run Baxter Progas where the family met many extraordinary people from the Hancock and Henderson County area. She always felt truly blessed to have raised a family and have had a business in this community.
Jo Anne loved her Catholic faith, finding great peace in the celebration of the Mass and participating in the Sacraments. She was a teacher at heart and simply taught by the way she lived her life up until the day she went Home. Besides her faith, her greatest gift from God was her family, who very often filled her home with laughter. Throughout the years, her earthly home was a place of stability for many in good times and bad; to know her was to know that you were loved.
Those left to miss her include her children: Cathy (Terry) Weiss of Highland Park, Illinois, Colette (Paul) Sopocy of Bourbonnais, Illinois, Christie (Terrance) Escorcia of Springfield, Illinois, Michelle McCollum of Media, Illinois, Renee Mowen of Springfield, Illinois, Mark Baxter of Burlington, Iowa, Julie (Mark) Burau of West Fargo, North Dakota; Eric Baxter of Burlington, Iowa, Paul Baxter of Stronghurst, Illinois and Galen (Jennifer) Baxter of Media, Illinois; 21 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren and one sister: Carol Ohlendorf of Muscatine, Iowa.
Besides her husband, Harry, she was preceded in death by one daughter: Jan Carpenter; one granddaughter: Dr. Kerri Anne Mowen; one sister: Elaine Burkett and three brothers: Cecil, John and Gayle Hornbaker.
Banks & Beals Funeral Home of Stronghurst is assisting the family.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, July 25, 2025, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, near Raritan, with Fr. Timothy Hepner as Celebrant. Burial will follow in Stronghurst Cemetery. No visitation is planned.
A memorial fund has been established for the Henderson County Public Library or Oak Lane Nursing & Rehab.