Can't believe it's been a year. He was a great man and will be missed.

Grandpa, I wonder if you hear how much my little Vivian misses you. She had to sleep with a picture of you for the longest time, and you continue to be on her mind. She told me tonight she knows now what to do when she misses you...she prays. I love the pictures others have posted, to have seen you as the young man you once were, to see how you loved your family...we were so lucky to have you!

Today my family said good bye to a wonderful man, a loving and Godly man. I've spend the day remembering how awesome my grandfather was to me growing up, and on into my adult life.

As I begin to think of the things I am grateful for, one of them is that he was a grandpa to my children (although technically, they would be his great grandfather). My two girls would play games with him, singing into his cane . Once he was not able to walk around as much they brought the playing to him, sometimes sitting on his lap combing his hair. My girls, Delilah and Vivian will always remember and love him as their grandpa. My youngest, Spencer, will never know him, but be assured I will talk about him to Spencer as he gets older.

It has been my honor to have helped him and my grandmother over the last several years. My grandmother no longer has to worry about how grandpa is doing, and I worry for her now as she begins to really feel the gaping hole of not having to be responsible for her husband for the first time in 52 + years.

I miss him terribly. My heart is recalling Christmas visits to his house, the house he built by hand. The long summer days spent at the house, reading books and exploring the outdoors (well they had an acre of land to explore). I loved eating the wonderful canned goods that my grandparents made together. Going to see Billy Graham in Buffalo. Train ride on the Attica/Arcade Railroad. Packing lunch for a visit to Marine Land.

The thing that got to me most today was the military funeral he received. I felt such pride and such sadness as I watched this young Army soldier hand to my grandmother the flag which was draped across his coffin earlier. There was such honor in the whole process.

He was good to all of us grandchildren and great grandchildren... and he will stay in my heart always...

RIP Grandpa Baldwin.

While I only met him a handful of times and our meetings were always brief, I will remember him as one of the sweetest and most gentle people I have ever encountered. He will me missed.

My earliest memories of grandpa all took place in the backyard of their home in Williamsville...that cute little house and the beautiful front and back yards that surrounded it. In the summer, the yards were always so fun and inviting, even though I was always afraid of bugs. My sister Shannon and I would run around, playing, or climb one of the big trees, or collect caterpillars. One of my earliest memories of Grandpa was before my sister was old enough to play with me, I don't remember the entire story, but I remember that Grandpa was playing with me, and whatever the game was, Grandpa must have been playing the bad guy, because I ended tying him up using the extra rope from the clothes line in the backyard. I'm sure he was able to get free very easily, but boy was he a good sport playing with a little kid who suddenly wants to tie him up! I never forgot that, and neither did the rest of the family, I don't know how many times that story was brought up at reunions and parties.

Though in the most recent years, my visits with Grandpa sadly became less and less frequent, I hope that in those few visits, and the cards I would send him and Grandma, I hope he knew that I loved him dearly. I loved my other Grandpa too, and still do, but I had a much different relationship with Grandpa Baldwin, and will always be happy to cherish that relationship and keep those memories close to my heart for the rest of my days.

I love you Grandpa, I always will, and all the birthdays, Easters, Thanksgivings, Christmases, all the times we got to spend time together - those are the important memories and the cherished ones that I will hang on to and keep close.

Wonderful father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend to many. Sorry for your loss but he's in a much better place. Thoughts and prayers for all, Dale & Judy

I wish with all my heart that I could be there in person to pay my respects to my beloved Grandfather. He was a dear man, full of love and happiness, despite everything. I never knew him to be angry, I never once saw him utter so much as a negative word....the Grandpa I knew was always smiling, always easy with a grin and a soft laugh...no matter if I'd told the same story every time I visited him, he still would listen intently with a big grin on his face. I will cherish my happy, fun memories of Grandpa for the rest of my life, and am comforted by the fact that he is at peace with the Lord and no longer in any pain. I am grateful that I got to grow up with him in my life, and that I had him in my life for as long as I did...he will be missed, but always loved and never forgotten.

Wilbert George Baldwin went to meet his Maker, and be with loved ones that went before him, yesterday, September 10, 2012.

He was born in October, 1921, in the pioneer country of Havre, Montana, and grew up on a Flathead Lake farm near Kalispell, Montana. A Varsity Football player, he graduated from Kalispell High School in 1941.

Leaving home, he hitch hiked his way to San Diego, landing a job at Consolidated Aircraft, building B-24 Liberator Bombers. As World War Two began, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, and began training in aircraft maintenance. As part of that training, he was sent to the Buffalo, NY Curtiss-Wright Aircraft plant, where he met Geraldine Pope, a production line "Rosie the Riveter".

During the war, he was stationed with the Thirteenth Air Force, mostly crewing P-38 fighters, during campaigns in the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, and Okinawa.

After the war, he returned to marry Geraldine Pope. Together, they had four children. In 1960, he suffered the loss of his first wife to cancer. He remarried, both he and Inez Pilcher Baldwin were together over the next 50 years, until his passing. He worked at Westinghouse Electric for over 35 years.

In 1962, he suffered the loss of his oldest son, Dennis, to an accident. In spite of his losses and pain, he maintained a grace and dignity that was a lesson to many. Deeply religious, he was also a talented guitarist and poet. His youngest son, Thomas, published his father's collected poetry in a book, " I know Why Poets Write". He was also a loving grandfather and great grandfather.

Wilbert endured a stroke over 20 years ago, and dealt with the effects of Parkinson's Disease for many years. His son, Michael, and his family, looked out for the welfare of he and Inez for several years in Williamsville, NY, until they moved to Batavia, NY. There, his grand daughter Laura, along with her husband Phil, daughter Linda, and former son-in-law David Russell helped them from day to day.

Wilbert is survived by his wife, Inez; brother, Merle; sister, Edna; surviving children, Linda, Michael, and Thomas; daughter in laws Christine and Kim; grand children Laura, James, Amanda, Marcy, Stephen, and Shannon; along with several great grand children.

Wilbert George Baldwin went to meet his Maker, and be with loved ones that went before him, yesterday, September 10, 2012. He was born in October, 1921, in the pioneer country of Havre, Montana, and grew up on a Flathead Lake farm near Kalispell, Montana. A Varsity Football player, he graduated from Kalispell High School in 1941. Leaving home, he hitch hiked his way to San Diego, landing a job at Consolidated Aircraft, building B-24 Liberator Bombers. As World War Two began, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, and began training in aircraft maintenance. As part of that training, he was sent to the Buffalo, NY Curtiss-Wright Aircraft plant, where he met Geraldine Pope, a production line “Rosie the Riveter”. During the war, he was stationed with the Thirteenth Air Force, mostly crewing P-38 fighters, during campaigns in the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, and Okinawa. After the war, he returned to marry Geraldine Pope. Together, they had four children. In 1960, he suffered the loss of his first wife to cancer. He remarried, both he and Inez Pilcher Baldwin were together over the next 50 years, until his passing. He worked at Westinghouse Electric for over 35 years. In 1962, he suffered the loss of his oldest son, Dennis, to an accident. In spite of his losses and pain, he maintained a grace and dignity that was a lesson to many. Deeply religious, he was also a talented guitarist and poet. His youngest son, Thomas, published his father’s collected poetry in a book, “ I know Why Poets Write”. He was also a loving grandfather and great grandfather. Wilbert endured a stroke over 20 years ago, and dealt with the effects of Parkinson’s Disease for many years. His son, Michael, and his family, looked out for the welfare of he and Inez for several years in Williamsville, NY, until they moved to Batavia, NY. There, his grand daughter Laura, along with her husband Phil, daughter Linda, and former son-in-law David Russell helped them from day to day. Wilbert is survived by his wife, Inez; brother, Merle; sister, Edna; surviving children, Linda, Michael, and Thomas; daughter in laws Christine and Kim; grand children Laura, James, Amanda, Marcy, Stephen, and Shannon; along with several great grand children.