Baxter A. Green

Baxter A. Green, 83, of Old Fort, passed away quietly Tuesday, July 25, 2017 after an extended battle against COPD.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Cora Newman Green; daughter, Michele C. Green; former wife and mother of his children, Rosemarie Crnkovich Green; brothers: Milton, Ralph, Kenneth, and ML; sisters: Juanita Cochran and Marge Houston; several nieces and nephews.
Those who are left with memories are: daughter: Debi Green Conner (Ray); grandchildren: Lisa Conner, Michael Conner (Danielle), Nicholas Giordano (Eve); great-grandchildren: Analiza and Logan Conner; brother, Fred Green (Louise); 27 nieces and nephews, including the most frequent visitor, Bill Houston, many cousins, great nieces and nephews, special friends: Mrs. Billie Adams and Tommy and JoAnn Kerr and his furry ‘son’ and beloved companion, Dawg.
Baxter was born in 1933 in a log cabin in the Sugar Creek community in southeast Bradley County. His father later had a blacksmith shop on Springplace Road near Cedar Springs. Baxter’s mother tied him to the clothesline to keep him from running across the road to stay at the shop with his daddy. Thus began his adventurous spirit.
While still a teen, Baxter made the trek to Florida with his brother and a group of friends to pick tomatoes. When that enterprise proved less than fruitful, he and some friends left for Illinois where they had friends from Cleveland who had already found work at the Reynolds Aluminum plant. He stayed in Illinois for more than 25 years, working in law enforcement and heavy equipment, marrying and fathering his two children, before returning to Cleveland.
Before his retirement, Baxter worked as a boilermaker and millwright in various plants including nuclear facilities in Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina. After his retirement from Mohawk in Eton, Ga, he spent an additional 7 years managing two large farms in Bradley and Polk Counties.
Some of his favorite memories were of his early school years at Charleston School when his family lived in Chatata Valley, pronounced ‘Shady Valley’ by those who lived there in the 1930s and 1940s. His mother and dad sharecropped on the Davis property in Charleston. Baxter and his brothers spent much time fishing, hunting, and preparing animal skins for sale to Sears Roebuck. He also recounted fondly boxing as an activity at the school along with jumping off every possible bridge in the summertime.
Children, pets, and people all loved him. He never met a stranger and always had an entertaining tale. He greatly enjoyed nature, especially hummingbirds and other birds which he fed.
He was of the Baptist faith and attended Union Missionary Baptist and Council Baptist with his parents. In later years he had no church affiliation but received the Word of God gladly. An avid reader, Baxter had a Bible and many western novels next to his favorite chair.
His family thanks the staffs of Signature Rehab, Tennova Hospital, and Hospice of Chattanooga for their excellent care over the last six weeks.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the West Polk Library, 126 Polk St, Benton, TN 37307 or the Union Baptist Cemetery, 797 Hughes Lake Road SE
Cleveland, Tennessee, 37323.
The family will receive friends from 12-2 p.m., Saturday July 29, 2017 in the chapel of Companion Funeral Home, 2417 Georgetown Rd NW, Cleveland, TN 37311.
The service will be at 2 p.m. in the chapel and will be conducted by Rev. Robert Seaton, pastor of First Lutheran Church. Interment will immediately follow at Union Missionary Baptist Cemetery.
You are invited to share a personal memory of Baxter or your condolences with his family at his online memorial located at www.companionfunerals.com. Companion Funeral and Cremation Service and the Cody family are honored to assist the Green family with these arrangements.