| Description | Baxter
DOB: 2 May 1908
DOD: N/A
Born at 20 Church Walks, Bury St. Edmunds.
Raised by his grandmother; believed she was his mother and his aunt his sister. Moved from Bury to Gazeley; enjoyed village life, harvest fields, and rural customs.
Childhood included schooldays at St Mary's Infant School and Guildhall Feoffment School in Bury.
Participated in local traditions like Maypole dancing and communiyt sports.
Times were financially difficult; early errands included shopping for sixpenny-worth items and attending fairgrounds.
Attended local schools in Bury St Edmunds.
Practical learning through early employment (chores, errands, woodwork).
Later took evening classes to learn shorthand and typing while working.
Early jobs: cleaning, errands, and shop work (Pawsey’s Stores, Stechworth Dairies).
Worked in rag and bone trade with B & H Brahams.
Clerk and shorthand typist at Robert Boby Ltd.
Various roles at the Bury Sugar Factory: from cleaner to machine operator to Charge Hand.
Military service in RAF during WWII: multiple postings, primarily as driver, ambulance operator, and logistics.
Post-war: roles included ice-cream salesman (Deli-Cream), men’s clothing shop manager, lorry driver (Goldsmith Bros), pub landlord (White Hart), brewery worker, and council employee.
Later elected to the Parish Council and involved in community activities.
Married Ivy Hetty Baxter on December 10, 1932, at St Mary’s Church, Bury St Edmunds.
Had children (specific number not always clear, but at least a son named Clive and a daughter Cheryl are mentioned).
Shared a long and happy marriage of 57 years until his wife’s death in February 1990.
Active in sports: football, cricket, billiards, snooker.
Involved in social clubs: YMCA, Constitutional Club, British Legion.
Passionate about community work: Over-60s Club, British Legion, local politics.
Amateur writer: published letters in local newspapers; referred to as “Mr. Bury Free Press.”
Interested in church activities and participated in choir.
Witnessed both World Wars, served in WWII with multiple postings in the RAF.
Experienced wartime air raids in Bury.
Faced numerous personal and family health challenges including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Moved homes multiple times due to work, health, and family needs.
Took care of evacuees during WWII.
Widowed in 1990; remained active in community despite declining health.
Type-written
Bury St Edmunds, RAF, WWII, sugar factory, rag and bone trade, shorthand, Deli-Cream, ice cream, Over-60s Club, British Legion, publican, community service, marriage, evacuation, resilience, rural Suffolk, childhood poverty, healthcare, Parish Council, family, heart disease. |