Local identity Don Baxter, has been talking about turning 80 for the last 10 years, and this month, it finally happened.
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Don celebrated with a gathering of 80 family and friends at Masquerades Restaurant at Lake Tabourie.
Don’s wife of 55 years, Pat along with their four children, 12 grandchildren, six great grandchildren plus a lot of other loved ones, were there to help celebrate this fantastic milestone.
Don was born in Milton hospital in 1935.
He was the first child of Lewis and Olive Baxter.
Don grew up with three brothers and three sisters at the family property in Termeil.
Don attended Termeil school from five years of age until he left at the age of 14.
Class mates Betty Turley, Barbara Anderson, Beryl Zerbes and brother, Barry Baxter helped Don to celebrate on the night.
Don went to work in his father and great uncles Arthur and Billy Hearn's sawmill on the family property for the next two years.
He then worked for Arthur Drury log cutting until he did his national service over the next few years.
He then worked for his uncle Laurie Petty of Milton and others within the local timber industry.
Don was introduced to his wife in 1958 by Peter Rixon, who was to be his future brother in law, in the main street of Milton.
They married in 1959, moved to Queensland.
Don worked in the timber industry and also on a mail truck.
Don and Pat returned to Termeil with their son Allan to once again work log cutting.
Don and Pat had two daughters Maree and Kathy before they bought their first property off Don's great uncle Billy Hearn in 1963 at Termeil.
They then moved to Yatte Yattah in 1965 to dairy farm with life-long friends Francis and John Duffy.
Their youngest child Maureen was born around this time.
The next five years brought drought and hard times.
They made life-long friends with neighbouring dairy farmers Norman and Pat Johnson and their four children Roy, Bob, Mary, who also attended the celebration, and John Johnson.
Don and Pat bought the rest of the family property in 1969 and opened their sawmill with friend Frank Golding on the family property in 1971.
Later, they went solo.
They build their home in1972 and have lived there ever since.
Don bought log trucks and logging machinery over the years but his true passion was beef cattle.
He loved to ride the horse checking the cattle and also played tennis for many years in Milton and Ulladulla. He ran his saw mill, managed and drove his log trucks and reared beef cattle until he had a serious farm accident in 1990.
Don was snigging logs on his tractor to the saw mill, when it reared up, flipped over and landed on him, crushing the entire mid area of his body.
Don spent the next six months in Prince Henry Hospital in Sydney with many complications due to the severity of the accident.
Pat was always by his side caring for him and his children, managing and running the properties and businesses at home.
When Don came home they invested in properties at Morangarell, which helped Don and Pat live their dream of producing top quality beef cattle which they did, topping many cattle sale days at the Milton and Forbes sale yards.
Their son, Allan bought the mill off them in 1992.
Don had many complications from his original accident over the years and has had over 34 operations and procedures to get him to the ripe old age of 80.
They just don't make them as tough as this anymore!
From the day Don turned 70 he would say now I'm heading for 80.
It has been a long 10 years hearing it, but now, we your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, loved ones and friends can't wait to hear you say I am now heading for 90!
Congratulations Don, It's been a very hard and bumpy road at times but well done and happy 80th birthday.