Bessie Evelyn Baldwin

May 1, 1921 - December 4, 2013

Bessie was born in Sandy Summit, West Virginia on May 1,

1921. She was one of eleven children. She moved with her mother and siblings to California after her father’s death. She

met her husband Howard Lee Roy Baldwin in Riverside, CA in December 1941 and they married six months later on June 27,

1942 in Seattle, WA. They had five children; Diane Hoover,

Brian Baldwin, James Baldwin, Kathy Buckey, and Tracy Baldwin; as well as twelve grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Bessie is preceded in death by her husband Howard, son Brian, and grandson Benjamin. Brian’s wife Linda Abel was adopted by Howard and Bessie many years after Brian’s death.

She and Howard lived in Anchorage, Alaska in a two room shack with a generator that only lit one light bulb at a time and cooked on a propane stove. She herded three children & and brand new baby girl on a 21 day transpacific trip to the Philippines. She worked as a traveling sales person from the Philippines to Taiwan to Hong Kong. She started a yearly fashion review at a department store in Okinawa. At 62 she went to school and learned how to do taxes -- and worked full-time running a tax office until age 82. She and Howard were world travelers, visiting Europe, China, and India to name a few. They also enjoyed cruising. They made friends in all of these travels – some that are with us now – proof of the bond of those friendships.

She was a strong woman with a strong faith in Jesus Christ – passed from her own mother Belle, who Bessie loved dearly. Her faith carried her though many tough times and she & Howard shared that faith with their children. She was an active member of First Baptist Church of Riverside for many, many years.

Because of unconditional love by her children, most significantly Jim and Diane, as well as loving care warriors Sheila Hazelwood and Amy Fredrickson, Bessie was able to live in her own home until her passing on December 4, 2013.

She taught us so many things -- how to run a household; how to dress appropriately; how to stand up for ourselves when necessary; how to do the right thing when you don't want to; how to keep quiet when all words will do is hurt; how to love unconditionally while not liking what a person might do; and that prayer works. Little mama was beloved by her family and we celebrate her and her amazing life!

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Smile Seekers at www.smileseekers.org, a recognized 504(c)3 nonprofit corporation.