STROH & DYER

Funeral Mass for Michelle Lynn Baxter Stroh will be 3:00 p.m., Saturday, July 18, 2020 at Erman Smith Funeral Home Chapel in Pittsburg with Father Robert Cigainero officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Erman Smith Funeral Home. Interment will be in Macedonia Cemetery in Camp County. Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Saturday, July 18, 2020 at Erman Smith Funeral Home Chapel.

Michelle Lynn Baxter Stroh, age 37, and her beloved son, Walter Gabriel Dyer (Gabe), age 14, are together in their journey on their latest quest. Both died July 3, 2020, from injuries sustained in a two-vehicle accident when an oncoming vehicle veered into them on U.S. Highway 271 in Titus County. The family resided in Carrollton, TX, and were traveling to celebrate Pop-Pop’s 4th of July birthday weekend celebration in Pittsburg. Her husband, Austin Gabriel Stroh, sustained traumatic injuries and will require long term rehabilitation, but has a positive prognosis. Her remaining children, Corbin, 7, and Abigail, 6, have been released from the hospital and will complete their recovery with their loving grandparents.

Michelle was born December 4, 1982, in Texarkana, TX. She graduated from Pittsburg High School in 2001 and got her degree at the University of North Texas in Denton. Michelle was a Special Education Teacher at Sheffield Elementary for the Carrollton/Farmers Branch ISD. She was an avid reader with a love of scary movies after the kids went to bed. She married her soulmate and Gabe’s ‘bonus parent’ Austin, in 2012.

Gabe enjoyed spending time with friends and family and playing video games and Dungeons and Dragons. He loved reading and was an aspiring writer, working on a science fiction novel.

Michelle is survived by Austin, Corbin, and Abigail Stroh; mom and dad Linda and Eugene Baxter, Jr. (PopPop and Nana) of Pittsburg; sister Jessica Thompson, brother-in-law Christopher Thompson and nephew Joseph Thompson of Tulsa, OK; aunt Janis Rooks and cousins Daniel and Andrew Rooks of Tyler; aunt Dorothy (Dash) Grunthaner of Tyler; uncle Gregory Grunthaner of Fort Worth and his family; uncle John Grunthaner and aunt Jean Grunthaner of Trophy Club and cousins John Michael Grunthaner and Christina Thomas and their families; aunt Janet Kelley of Virginia and cousins Kevin Kelley and Stacy Coleman and their families; uncle Kenneth Baxter of Redwater and cousin Roy Eugene Baxter; aunt Gale Baxter of Del City, OK; and cousins Matthew Lowell, Jeremy Lowell, and Jennifer Lowell and their families.

In addition to the above, Gabe is survived by his father David Wesley Dyer, stepmother Amanda Dyer, sister Lilyann Dyer, and brother Owen Dyer of Carrollton; aunt Julie Erin Ezernack and uncle Bruce Ezernack and cousin, Jasper Ezernack; and aunt Haley Dyer of Springhill, LA. Gabe was preceded in death by great-grandmother Mae Lois Reynolds Dyer, grandmother Shirley Renee Lowell, and great-aunts, Sherri Moore and Karen Dyer of Springhill.

Michelle and Gabe were preceded in death by Michelle’s great-grandmother Dorothy Havlicek; grandmother Audrey Grunthaner and grandfather Walter Grunthaner; great-grandmother Lavonne Hunt; and grandmother Darlene Baxter and grandfather Eugene Baxter, Sr.; and aunt Dianne Lowell.

“Tribute to Michelle and Gabe”

by Janis Rooks

The teacher and her teenage son

Have left the earth, together, done,

Too soon, too quick

The grief is thick.

But neither take this trip as one.

They’ve found each other; holding hands

They travel into distant lands

They fade to black

We want them back

No one really understands.

Rest well, young Gabe. Sleep sweet, Michelle.

Say,” See you later,” not “Farewell.”