Anne “Nancy” Baxter Webb (nee Smillie)

On May 18, 2018, Anne Webb passed away from complications due to Alzheimer’s Disease at the age of 87 years.

Anne was born and raised in Yonkers, NY and later Springfield, MA. She attended St. Lawrence University for her undergraduate studies. She spent her junior year abroad at St. Andrews University in Scotland where she met her husband John Webb. Anne later received a M.A. and PhD from the University of Minnesota, also in history.

Anne pioneered Women’s History; in particular she performed groundbreaking research on women homesteaders. She joined Metropolitan State University, first as community faculty, and then in 1975 as one of the university’s first full-time faculty. She was instrumental in developing almost all aspects of the university, including founding the History Department.

Outside of her work life Anne loved creative writing, including writing mystery novels. She is the co-founder of Creme de la Crime, a successful mystery writing group. Her other love was sailing her boat Spindrift on Lakes Pepin and Superior. Anne’s favorite place to summer was in Goshen, MA, at the lakeside cottage her parents built in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains.

She will be greatly missed by her daughter Jennifer Fusaro (Darrell) and son John Webb (Anna); grandchildren Christopher (Nicole), Samuel, Maxine, and Eloise; sister Margaret Child (James); and nieces Elizabeth (Jacques) and Anne (Trapper).

A celebration of Anne’s life with be held at 4pm, on June 9th, at the Gill Brothers Funeral Chapel, 9947 Lyndale Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 55420.
www.GILLBROTHERS.com
BLOOMINGTON, MN 952 888 7771