Lester Baxter, 89, a volunteer who has been serving local residents for more than seven decades, was recently honored by the Chester County Commissioners for his dedicated service, writes Mari Schaefer for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
When he was 19, Baxter helped fund and build West Caln Township’s Martin’s Corner Fire Company. The Korean War veteran also built his own home where he raised his family while working two jobs: one at Lukens Steel and the other with the Chester County Parks Department. Through all that, he continued to volunteer with the fire company.
When Martin’s Corner closed seven years ago, he moved on to Honey Brook Fire Company No. 1. Oftentimes, he would visit the fire department to chat with the crew, said Al Beiler, treasurer of Honey Brook.
Before being recently sidelined by illness, the long-time volunteer served as fire police for the company. His job was to assist with traffic and other duties at the scenes of emergencies, which often included dealing with irate drivers upset over their routes being disrupted.
“It takes a special breed of person to be yelled at,” said Beiler.
Read more about Lester Baxter in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.
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