Helen Lucina Baldwin (1855-1932)

Helen Lucina Baldwin was born on 05 Sep 1855 in Wisconsin as the fourth child of Philander Baldwin and Charlotte Johnson. She had four siblings, namely: Mary L., Lorena M., Martha A, and Harvey E. We don’t know exactly where in Wisconsin she was born, but when she was five, the family was living at Medina, Dane, Wisconsin.

It is not clear exactly when Helen ended up in Iowa but it was likely sometime between 1864 and 1869. Two of her older sisters married in Wisconsin in 1861 and 1864, respectively. Her other older sister, died in Wisconsin in 1864. But, when Helen’s grandfather, Timothy Johnson, died in 1871, his obituary said that the family lived in Iowa. And based on her marriage date, Helen was clearly in Iowa by early 1869. To put this in historical perspective, this probably means that the family moved from Wisconsin to Iowa shortly after the Civil War ended on 9 May 1865.

When she was 13, Helen married James W Huleress Fawcett, son of Simeon Fawcett and Margaret Woods, on 02 Feb 1869 in Poweshiek, Iowa. Thirteen seems really young to marry. “Hugh,” as her husband was called, was seven years older than Helen, but he was only 20 at the time of the marriage. They were a very young married couple.

James W Huleress Fawcett and Helen Lucina Baldwin had the following children:

1. Ralph C. Fawcett was born on 29 Oct 1870 in Jasper, Iowa. He died on 19 Dec 1885 in Harrison, Adair, Iowa. He was only fifteen at the time of his death. It must have been very difficult for Helen and Hugh to lose their son.
2. Harry Allen Lawrence Fawcett was born on 04 Feb 1872 in Jasper, Iowa. He married Barbara Mary Meyer on 03 Aug 1899 in Sac City, Sac, Iowa. He died on 05 Feb 1956 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota, at the age of 84.
3. Franklin A. “Frank” Fawcett was born on 19 Jun 1876 in Jasper, Iowa. He married Ida J. Miller on 28 Dec 1895 in Stuart, Adair, Iowa. He died on 15 Sep 1951 in Casey, Adair, Iowa, at the age of 75.
4. George Emerson “Emmer” Fawcett was born on 29 Sep 1877 in Jasper, Iowa. He married Elizabeth Mauer on 14 Sep 1901 in Clinton, Sac, Iowa. He died on 22 Jan 1959 in Lake City, Calhoun, Iowa, at the age of 81.
5. Ida Rena Fawcett was born on 12 Oct 1881 in Iowa. She married James Fred Hill on 30 Nov 1899 in Adair, Iowa. She died on 21 Oct 1951 in Poweshiek, Iowa, at the age of 70.

Helen and Hugh Fawcett started their married life in Richland, Jasper, Iowa and were recorded there at the times of the 1870 and 1880 Federal Censuses. They lived among his relatives. In 1870, Hugh’s brother, Euclid, lived with the couple and his uncle Edward lived next door. In 1880, Hugh’s dad, Simeon, lived with them.

But, in 1885, when Iowa took a state census, they lived at Harrison, Adair, Iowa.

In the Federal and State censuses of 1900, 1910, 1915, 1920, and 1925, they lived at Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa. But, by 1930, Helen was living at Walnut, Adair, Iowa, with her son Frank rather than living with her husband who remained in Poweshiek County.

This may be of more interest to genealogists than to normal people, but finding Helen’s lineage was challenging. The major breakthrough came by looking at the second page of her entry in the 1925 Iowa State Census. Page one had been studied multiple times, but it took a while to discover that there was a second page. But what excitement (again for a genealogist) to find that the second page listed the parents of those recorded in the census!

Helen Lucina Baldwin Fawcett died on 20 Apr 1932 in Walnut, Adair, Iowa, at age 76. She was buried next to her son Ralph on Arbor Hill at Fairview Cemetery at Harrison, Adair, Iowa. Her son Frank was later buried with his mother and brother.

Where is she in the tree?

Where can I learn more?

The Fawcett Family