The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-09-03
OLD RESIDENT
PASSES AWAY
After Eighteen Months of Suffer-
ing B. [. Baldwin Dies
OLDEST ODD FELLOW
Fifiy-Three Years Member of The Order
Grand Master in I 892-An Inmate of
National Odd Fellows Sanitarium

Benjamin l.. Baldwin, of Fort Pierce,
who has heen an inmate of the National
Odd Fellows Sanitarium, at Gainesville
for several months, a sufferer from
stroke of paralysis for nearly eighteen
months, died at that santarium last
Thursday night, and the body brought
to Fort Pierce Saturday morning, &C.
cOmpanied by his son, Forrest Baldwin.
The funeral was in charge of Atlantic
Lodge, No. 80, Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, and was conducted from
the Baptist church, large concourse of
friends of the deceased being present.
Interment was made in the Fort Pierce
cemetery, Saturday afternoon, along
side his wife who passed away five years
ago from the same disease.
Mr.. Baldwin has been lifelong
Christian and member of the Baptist
church; He was the oldest member of
the Odd Fellows in Florida, having been
member for fifty-three years, and
was awarded gold msdal at the an
nual meeting of the lodge held in St.
Petersburg three years ago, when he
had completed his fifty years of men,
bership he was also charter men,
Der and first Noble Grand of the Fort
Pierce lodge
Mr.. Baldwin was eighty-one years of
age, his birthday being two days be-
fore his death. He has two living
brothers, both older than he, one being
ninety-two years of age. Besides these
he leaves two daughters, Mrs. M. F.
Goldsmith, of Fort Pierce and Mrs.
lsham Williams, of Ladoga, Ind, two
sons, Forrest l.. Baldwin, engineer on
the Florida East Coast Railway, and
another son, who is engaged in rail-
reading in Illinois and Indiana, whose
portrait adorn all advertising sent out
for the Brotherhood Overals. During
his younger years, Mr.. Baldwin was
engaged in rairoading, rising from en-
gineer to master machanic and SUPER
intendent of the old Plant System.
The following account of his death is
clipped from the Gainesville Sun:
Mr.. B. l.. Baldwin, who was in his
eighty-fourth year, died at the Sanitar-
ium on Thursday night at 9 clock after
suffering about sixteen months from
paralysis and other diseases with which
he was afflicted.
He was removed to Gainesville from
Fort Pierce some eight months ago in
the hopes that the change would prove
beneficial, but for the past eight or ten
weeks he has been gradually sinking
and it was known that he could not
long survive.
Mr.. Baldwin was for number of
years master mechanic for the Florida
Southern railroad and made his home in
North Gainesville, having lived here
with his family for several years. He
was one of the charter members of Gen.
ter Lodge, No. II, l. o. o. F., and this
society has looked after him and made
the necessary arrangements for the
proper care of the remains, shipping
them to Fort Pierce, Friday at 1880 p.
NJ, where the interment will be held.
The deceased leaves one daughter,
Mrs. Maude Goldsmith, of Fort Pierce,
one son who is engaged as engineer on
the East Coast, and two sons now liv-
ng in the West to mourn their loss.
Some few months before being strick-
en- with paralysis, Mr.. Baldwin inven-
led an air-brake arrangement for use
IN locomotives, but for lack of funds
failed to secure his patent. and his in
1entiOn was lost. By some who saw it
t was pronounced very successful, and
would have rev0lutiUliinnd the method
low employed.