Birth Record: I have not seen the birth record (I don't have a copy yet), but I do know Leo's date of birth is February 17, 1887. He was born in the town of Geneseeville (modern day city of Genesee), Genesee Township, Michigan.
Marriage Record: Leo Baldwin, at age 19, married (his first wife) Catherine Tompkins ("Thompkins?") on 27 March 1906 (they had a daughter). His second marriage to Mable Rutherford was on November 9, 1918. Leo was 32 and Mable was 27 (although the number looked like it had been copied over for Mable's age). Mable's residence was Imlay City, Leo's was Geneseeville. Mable's occupation is given as "Cigar Maker," while Leo's is given as "Spring Maker." Leo's mother is listed as Mary Bellinger, and for Mable only the word "Sarah" is given for her mother. The minister was Howard A. Field, and the witnesses were John Baldwin and Nettie Rutherford.
Children with Mable Rutherford:
01. Leo Jr: born 1920
02. Forrest Born 1922
03. Douglas born 1923
04. MaryBelle born 1924
05. Dona Mae born 1927
06. Barbara born 1929
Children with Catherine Tompkins:
One child; a female (I don't know here name; ask relatives)
Death Record: I have a copy of the actual record. Leo died May 3, 1932; 3:55 AM. He died in Hurley Hospital in Flint, Michigan after an eight day battle with lobar pneumonia. He lived 45 years, 2 months, and 16 days. He was buried on May 5, 1932 in Gracelawn Cemetery (Undertaker: Groves and Co. Flint). The birth date is given as February 17, 1887 in Genesee, Michigan. They spell his wife's name as "Mabel." His occupation was Cigar Maker. He lived at 717 Lomita Avenue in Flint. His father's name is given as "Marcus F. Baldwin," his mother as "Mary Ballenger." Marcus' birthplace was Connecticut, and Mary's was New York. Mabel was the informant.
Obituary: Yes, Mable sent it to me. The death notice appeared on 03 May 1932, p3 col.4, in The Flint Journal.:
From the Flint Journal:
"Leo Baldwin, 45 years old, 717 Lomita Avenue. He died of pneumonia at Hurley Hospital early today after a weeks illness. A lifelong resident of Flint and vicinity, he was born February 17, 1887, in Genesee, a son of Dr. and Mrs. Marcus F. Baldwin. He married Mable Rutherford, who survives him, November 9, 1918, in Flint. Other survivors are three sons, Leo Jr., Forrest, and Douglas, and three daughters Mary Belle, Barbara, and Dona Mae, all at home; two brothers, C.P. Baldwin of Flint and Fayette Baldwin of Lapeer, and a sister, Mrs. Beatrice Wheeler of Long Beach, California."
Church Records: None that I know about. The Church records for the marriage are lost. Mable said that he was a Methodist. They were married in the Court Street Methodist Church in Flint, Michigan. Check the church bulletins, membership roles, etc.
Family Bibles: There is a Family Bible that dates back to Daniel Baldwin in the early 1800's, but we can't find it.
Cemetery Record: He is buried in Gracelawn Cemetery, Flint, Michigan. Section D, Lot 413, W/12 Grave 05. There is a tombstone.
Military Record/Draft Registration: I don't think that he served in the armed forces. He may have registered for World War One; I need to check the registry lists (The Flint Library or the State Genealogy Library may have the microfilm. Otherwise the National Archives may have the record. 98% of all men in the US registered.). There is no record of Leo's draft registration for Genesee County. There is a separate draft list for Flint that I was unable to view on microfilm; he may be there.
Occupation: The marriage records say "Spring Worker." However, the family feedback I get is that he met Mable while working in the Cigar factory. Also, he managed the Guy Lewis Pool Hall on South Saginaw Street, a two story building in Flint (across from the Flint River) where they had a barbershop, pool hall, and bar. The Flint/Genesee County Directory for 1918 lists Leo as a Cigar Maker at the Iroquois Company, Res RD 7 (?). Research the Guy Lewis Hall and Iroquois Company. The 1930 census lists Leo as a salesman for a cigar store.
Educational Records (yearbooks, etc.): Nothing yet. Ask relatives.
Groups/Clubs/Society Records: None that I know about. Ask relatives.
Pictures; Audio Recordings; Documents; Personal Notes: From a letter written by his wife, Mable: "He liked all kinds of sports. He was a kind man and liked to live in harmony and peace."
What I remember is that he died when my father (Douglas Wallace Baldwin) was only nine. His young death left Mable with six kids to care for. We have a picture of the five brothers. Leo left home when he was about 12.
Spelling Variations: None. The name "Baldwin" originates northwest of London, England in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Oxfordshire. Richard Richardson lists Leo's middle initial as P. I don't know where he got the information. The 1920 census lists his middle initial as "B." Mable called Leo "Lee" and there is evidence from the 1900 census that he was called Lee as a child.
Address/Migration Record/City Directories: He was born on the family farm in Geneseeville and went to Flint where he lived until he was a teenager. He lived with Marquis in Thedford Township in 1900, lived with unknown relatives until an older teenager, after which he went to Detroit before returning to Flint. Do we have pictures or land records on the family homestead in the area of Genesee town?
Census Record 1900 (Leo is 13): Marquis was 77 in the 1900 census and he died at 79 in La Salle County Illinois. In the 1900 census Marquis is a boarder in the home of Harmon and Mary Sweet. There is an adopted son, age 12, born in February 1888 named Lee. This "adopted son" could very well be Leo (I think it is; his parents are listed as being born in Connecticut for the father and Michigan for the mother, which fits; the dates are not exact but close enough, also he was called Lee). Mary (Bellinger) Baldwin died in April 1898 at the age of 44, so Leo and Marquis were on their own for two years before the census.
Census Record 1910 (Leo is 23): Nothing is found for him in Genesee County for the 1910 census; age 23. He was married in 1918. Leo married Catherine Thompkins in 1906 (when he was 19, almost 20) , so that family might show in this census. Check in the Detroit census.
Census Record 1920 (Leo is 33): He is 33. His middle initial is "B". Occupation is spring maker in the auto factory. Mable is 24. Leo Jr. is 5 months. The record is very dark and smudged.
Census Record 1930 (Leo is 43): At age 43 (42, the census says), two years before he died, Mable is 38, Leo Jr. is 10, Forrest is 8. My father, Douglas is 7, Marybelle is 6, Barbara is 3, and Dona Mae is 1.
LDS Search: Nothing in the social security death index and nothing in the total system.
Gedcom Search: Nothing except Richard Richardson's version (which I have)
Gen Web Search:
Rootsweb Surname Search:
Ancestry Plus Search:
PERSI Search:
Location Descriptions (The places, political boundaries): Leo was born in 1887 and died in 1932.
Time Line Descriptions (Culture, technology, conditions, major events of the era):
Current Focus:
01. Send for Leo's birth certificate from the State (ordered in October, 2002)
02. Call the Court Street Methodist Church and see what kind of records they maintain and how to access them.
03. Check draft list for Flint, World War One; may need to go to Flint Library.
04. Did the auto factories keep records.
05. Check the census for Detroit since Leo went to Detroit when he was a teenager
06. Check the census records for Leo's uncles and aunts to see who he was living with after Marquis went to Illinois.
