Robert A. Baxley
Robert Baxley, 89, passed away due to complications from several strokes. He was a hard working, self-made man who lived to work and sacrificed to provide for his family.
September 10, 1937 – August 13, 2026
Robert Baxley, 89, passed away due to complications from several strokes. He was a hard working, self-made man who lived to work and sacrificed to provide for his family.
Robert was born in Truman, Arkansas to Andrew and Alma Baxley. He was the middle son of three and was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers and his son, Terry Wayne Baxley.
A child of poverty, Robert left school and home to seek work at the age of 15. He traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, where he found work in a large grocery warehouse and various factories. In 1954, he went back to get Ginger, his childhood sweetheart, and married by crossing state lines to Mississippi because they were underage in Arkansas. They were accompanied by their fathers, but it turns out they weren’t needed, Robert and Ginger went before a judge as teenagers and came out of the courthouse “Man and Wife”.
Robert settled his family in Arnold, Missouri until he found land to farm and decided to move to Texarkana, Texas. With his two young sons, they farmed milo, the first in Bowie County to do so. Robert found a job at Red River Army Depot to work swing shift and farmed during the day. Eventually Robert sold the farm and decided to try his hand at construction, building a few houses until he found enough land to build a subdivision in Pleasant Grove. He then decided to start a carport business, then portable building business until he had a prime location off Interstate 30. He once told his daughter-in-law how exciting it was to start a new business, detailing how he would get an idea and do the research and then plunge in. She believed him because everything he touched was successful.
Robert was a member of Beverly Baptist Church and served as treasurer during the 1970’s. He was saved when his oldest son, Terry, was a boy and they were baptized at the same time.
In his last few years, he had leaned heavily on his son, Clay, to manage the business and care for Ginger. Our family is eternally grateful to Stacy Wiltshire for the love and wonderful care she gave.
Robert is survived by his wife of 71 years, Ginger; his son, Clay and wife Mary Kay; his grandson, Andrew and wife Rachel and granddaughter Alyssa and husband Sebastian Riojas; his great-granddaughters, Adelyn and Ella Baxley as well brothers- and sisters-in-law and over 100 nieces and nephews.
Courtesy of Texarkana Funeral Home.