Richard James Baxter, son of Clyde R. Baxter and Gertrude L. Peckham, was born Feb. 10, 1925 at Willis, Kansas and died on June 9, 1846 when a Navy S N J-6 trainer plane that he was piloting flew over Willis, struck the cupola of the Norris Grain Co., elevator with the left wing, turned upside down and crashed in the heart of Willis, killing him instantly. He was on his way to a family reunion and had decided to fly over his home town. His parents Mr. And Mrs. Clyde Baxter of Salina, were in Horton at the home of Roy Baxter and arrived shortly after the crash. His maternal grandfather, L.G. Peckham lives in Willis near where the accident occurred. Dick was born in Willis but had not lived in the vicinity since 1933, when the family moved to Concordia. He attended Concordia grade school and later came back to Willis for one year of high school. After leaving Concordia the family moved to North Platte, Nebr., Holdredge, Nebr., and then to Salina. He graduated from high school in Salina in 1943 and enlisted in the Navy. He was selected for the Naval V5 program and trained at Mt. Vernon, Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa and Olathe, Kansas and was commissioned an ensign and Navy flier at Corpus Christi, Texas. He is survived by his parents and grandparents, Mr. And Mrs. Ross Baxter and Luther G. Peckham.