Ann F. “Annie” Baldwin

ANN FARBER BALDWIN of Chinook, Washington, died Tues. Nov. 22 at home.

She was born Ann Helen Farber on December 18, 1947 in New York City, the first child of Arthur and Ruth (Jaffe) Farber.

She spent her childhood years in Queens, New York, before moving to Seattle, Washington at the age of 8. She graduated from Sammamish High School in Bellevue, Washington in 1965.

In the fall of 1965 she entered Reed College in Portland, Oregon, which she attended until 1968 when she moved to London, England. There she attended the London School of Economics from the fall of 1968 until the spring of 1969. After traveling throughout Europe for some months, she returned to Reed College in the fall of 1969 where she graduated with the class of 1970, earning a degree in philosophy.

During her time in Portland she became familiar with and eventually joined a close-knit community known as Mist Mountain Farm near Clatskanie, Oregon.  There she taught in the Mayger School Head Start program until 1974 when she was promoted to Head Start administrator for the northern Willamette Valley and returned to Portland.

In 1980 she began her life’s professional work as a Licensed Massage Therapist as co-owner of the Evergreen Massage Clinic in S.W. Portland where she practiced for 5 years.

On November 29, 1985 she married the love of her life, Ron Baldwin of Clatskanie, Oregon. Their son, Alex, was born the following year. In 1987 the couple purchased their first home in Astoria, Oregon where Ann established a private massage practice. In 1993 the family moved to Chinook, Washington where she resided for the rest of her life. The couple operated Lido Caffé Espresso in Astoria for 10 years and Aunt Clara’s Greenhouse, a retail nursery in Chinook for 6 years. She taught “Massage For Relaxation” for 20 years at Clatsop Community College in Astoria.

She had many and varied interests, among them literature, philosophy, music and the outdoors. An accomplished pianist and banjo/guitar player, she was a member of many musical groups and performed in several theatrical productions. The old piano danced under her fingers at many Netul Grange country dances.

She was surrounded by a large circle of friends, as she could form connections with ease. But her most important role in life was that of a beloved wife and mother. She will always be remembered for her intelligence, warmth and kindness and for this, she will be missed by many.

Mrs. Baldwin is survived by her husband, Ron Baldwin at home in Chinook; their son, Alexander Baldwin and fiancé Heather Coy, of Seattle, Washington; her brother and sister-in-law, Daniel and Jean Farber of Mt. Vernon, Washington;  her sister and brother-in-law, Laurie and Robie Pruden of Edgewood, Washington; a sister-in-law, Susan Baldwin of Nogales, Arizona; nieces, Jenny Chapman of San Francisco, California and Debbie Parker of Dallas, Texas; and nephews Zachary Farber of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Darryl Johnson of Nogales, Arizona.

– submitted
Left to right: Jim Fink, Stephanie Stein, Joseph Stevenson, Annie Baldwin in rehearsal for the first Tribute to Woody Guthrie, written and directed by Joseph Stevenson, circa ‘74.

Annie was a friend for over 35 years and was probably still living in a commune on Mist Mountain when this photo was taken. She was a calm and friendly anchor to many a creative flurry of mine, on stage in “A Tribute to Woody Guthrie”, “Chautauqua”, and “The Oregon Trail”; and as piano player for the Green Country Dance Band which started the monthly country dances at Netel Grange in 1979. To the end she walked through everything with grace and good humor, and will be sorely missed for her fine musicianship, her healing hands, and her big heart.

-Joseph Stevenson