Reverend Richard Carter Baldwin

Grandpa with his beloved Bible

On Wednesday January 28, 2014 at 5:32 PM, we said goodbye to my grandpa, Richard Carter Baldwin, for the last time.  Grandpa was 90 years old.  He passed away, surrounded by my mom, her sister Sharon and Sharon's husband, Bob.  He was in a room filled with LOVE, comfort and acceptance.

Grandpa was a pretty amazing man and a couple of weeks ago, we held his funeral service to give those people whose lives he touched an opportunity to remember him, say goodbye to him and be surrounded by others who also loved him.

The service was beautiful.  It was spent telling his life story, which is fascinating to me every single time I hear it.  It was spent sharing his daughters, sons in law, and grandchildren's memories of him so that those who didn't have the honor of being related to him, could better get to know the man we knew.

Below is a summarized version of grandpa's life.  He was a very busy guy!

The Early Years

• Grandpa was born on March 18, 1924 in Grayville, Illinois to 44 year-old Martha Baldwin and 51 year-old Arthur Baldwin.  To say his was a surprise is an understatement.  He was their 8th child and his oldest sibling was 22 years old when he was born.
• When grandpa was 14, his father died suddenly.  His family owned and operated a nursing home which supported the family.  
• During this time, grandpa began acting out and was sent to live with various relatives, in Nebraska, Arizona and Chicago.    
• As the US entered WWII, grandpa's mother singed papers to allow him to join the Navy at the age of 17 since, it appeared, he could use some discipline in his life.  

The Navy and Meeting Grandma

• Grandpa was deployed to the South Pacific while in the Navy.  During leave, while his ship was docked in Monterey, CA, he met a woman by the name of Margaret Lou Watson.  After meeting, they began corresponding while grandpa was at sea.
• A year and a half after they met, thinking grandpa was done with his overseas duty, they married in a courthouse in Salinas, CA.
• Grandpa was assigned to duty in Norfolk, VA.  Not long after he and grandma arrived in Norfolk, grandpa was sent overseas again.  Grandma went to Modesto, CA to live with some of her siblings while grandpa was gone.  
• In 1945, upon being honorably discharged from the Navy, grandpa headed back to Modesto where he was reunited with grandma and where he met his daughter Fran, who was 6 weeks old, for the first time.  

Grandpa with the love of his life

His Education, Becoming a Christian and His Many Moves

• In 1947, the family moved to Tucson, AZ where grandpa took the high school equivalency exam and enrolled at the University of Arizona, studying for a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  Sharon, his second daughter, joined the family in June of that year. 
• In October of 1947, grandpa gave his life over to God, and the trajectory of his life changed forever. 
• In August of 1950, his third daughter, and my mama, Jennifer was born, and grandpa felt led to direct his educational energies elsewhere.  He moved the family from Tucson to Covina, CA and began attending California Baptist Bible College and Seminary.  
• While studying and working to support the family during the week, he also began preaching at the Hinkley Bible Church on the weekends.
• After graduating from Cal Baptist, he moved the family back to Tucson and became the pastor of Eastside Baptist Church.  During this time he and grandma helped operate a nursing home that grandpa's brother had opened in Tucson.  
• A few years later, the family moved to Delano, CA where grandpa pastored at Calvary Baptist Church, and VERY shortly thereafter, moved back to Tucson after being called back to Eastside.  
• In 1964, grandpa decided he needed more education to provide better pastoral service, so he moved the family to La Mirada, CA and he enrolled at Talbot Theological Seminary.  
• During this time he pastored at a church in east LA, began working in Nursing Home Administration in Hollywood, then in Anaheim all while taking refresher classes at UCLA and USC in elder care.  With each new job, he and grandma moved.
• In 1972, Grandpa was called to be the pastor at Community Baptist Church in Ontario, CA, and then just a little over 1 year later the Baldwin family asked him to move back to Grayville, Illinois to run the family nursing home as his brother who had been in charge was ill.  
• He and grandma moved back, bought a 100 year old house and worked on renovating it while he oversaw the nursing home.
• Later they bought a farm on 25 acres and built a house on the land.  During this time he served as the teaching pastor of the local church, Ridge Baptist Church.
• In 1978, grandpa received a call from Fontana Baptist Church asking if he would consider moving back to CA to pastor, so he did.  

His "Grandpa" Years

Grandpa with all 9 of his grandchildren.

• In 1980, grandpa began working with Hospital Chaplains of America at UCI Medical Center.  He and grandma eventually moved to Leisure World in Seal Beach to be closer to the hopital, which is where I remember spending time with them.  
• In 1987, their 9th (and final) grandchild was born.  As of today, the family has grown to include  19 great grandchildren.  
• Eventually, grandpa moved to part time status with the hospital chaplains and began assisting with the hospital visitations for the home church, Leisure World Baptist Church.  They took the "part time" status as an opportunity to work with a nonprofit Christian organization which takes retirees who are want to travel across the country and spend time helping small Christian organizations that need assistance in building, repairing, etc. while making new friends and exploring the country. 
• They stayed in Leisure world until 2010 when they moved into an assisted living facility that could offer the type of care they needed in their later years.  
• After grandma passed in February 2013, after 68 years of marriage, grandpa felt his job on earth was complete.  
• In March 2014, grandpa was moved to a guest home where he received very loving, full-time care. 
• On January 28th, grandpa made his final move, to Heaven, where he was reunited with his beautiful wife and with his Lord.  

Clare loved getting "Grandpa rides" when we would go to visit him

Grandpa cuddling Laurel

Many of you know that he married Jonathan and me nearly 10 years ago.  He counseled us, loved us, supported us, and with a stoic exterior that would often crack to expose a heart that was full of love and kindness, married us on March 12, 2005.  That was the grandpa I will remember.  He was a man who didn't like to show emotion, probably due to all those amazing life experiences, but who couldn't hide the love he had for his family.  I will miss grandpa dearly, but I am so happy he has finally met the Lord who he spent his life serving.

I am grateful that my Grandpa was up there with me as I married my love.

Me looking at my sweet grandpa during my wedding vows.  I think this picture captured just how much he meant to me.

Apparently Grandpa interjected a little humor into the ceremony.