By Jo Baldwin

 

The Baldwin Gang of Iowa City in 1924

 Bird Wilbur (Bo), Twins Jervas and Alan (Dad), Patricia

Al and Jervas at around 2 years old. Since the boys were twins, they were nicknamed "Nip" and "Tuck" because the doctor said it was nip and tuck as to which one was firstborn. They were born May 13, 1916 in Media, Pennsylvania.


Alan Baldwin (my father) graduated from University High School in Iowa City in June 1934. He had been orphaned at age 11 and was raised by his guardian Hannah Wellman and her two daughters Rowena and Beth. Al's father, Dr. Bird Thomas Baldwin was a child psychologist at the University of Iowa. Dr. Baldwin created the Child Welfare Reasearch Station. My father received a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University in 1938.

As a young man, Al's main interests were tinkering with old cars and radios and riding Indian motorcycles across the Midwest.

  
 

World War 2 broke out and like millions of young men, Al was drafted into the Army. He eventually reached the rank of Captain in the Signal Corps and was stationed in London and in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. 

Dad relaxes at Lake Okoboji, Iowa near the Minnesota border. He made frequent trips to the resort since childhood.

My sister Rosy and Dad on a tandem bike. The photo was taken by me in 1992 using Rosy's new Olympus Stylus camera.

Dad passed away on February 21, 2003 after a short battle with aspiration pneumonia, largely caused by drugs administered to him at the hospital. We were devastated by his death and still miss him so much!

  
 

  

 

Music is "Apple Blossoms" by Kjell H. Waltman

 

Sequenced by Oleg Mezjuev