Cloudy, 26° F
(Mar. 17, 2009)
Henry Lester “Les” Baldwin, 96, died March 17 at his home in Osage.
Les was born September 15, 1912, the son of George Clyde and Ida Rose (Hendrickson) Baldwin. He was born in a log house on his parent’s homestead near Inyan Kara Mountain south of Sundance.
He married Eloise Piersall in Pierre, S.D. in 1936. To this union were born Clyde, Joyce and Velma. They later divorced. His main occupation was building construction. He worked mainly in northeast Wyoming, moving the family to Gillette, Upton, Osage and, finally, Newcastle, where they lived for 20 years. During harsh winters in Wyoming, Lester moved the family to California, Arizona and New Mexico, but Wyoming always beckoned them back.
Around 1951, Lester went to work in building construction for Harold Julian of Julian Construction. When Julian Construction moved to Cody, Lester worked a lot in the Big Horn Basin.
He married Leola Rosetti in 1971. They moved to Cody for a few years, then to Gillette. Lester retired in 1978, and he moved to Osage.
One of Lester’s loves was his ranch at the foot of Inyan Kara Mountain. Spending time with family and friends was also important to Lester. He loved to read and had stacks of books and magazines around his house. He enjoyed the company of his cats.
Lester’s survivors include his children, Clyde of Juneau, Alaska, Joyce Slider of Newcastle and Velma (Jerry) Maddox of Powell; several nephews and their wives; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Hazel Messesmith and Ledel Baker, and brother Dick Baldwin.
Memorial services were held on Monday, March 23 at Upton United Methodist Church with Rev. Joseph Spencer officiating. Burial in Greenwood Cemetery in Upton will take place at a later date. The family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Osage Volunteer Ambulance Service.
