Obituary for William Kenworthy Baldwin
Dr. William “Bill” Kenworthy Baldwin, DVM died October 10, 2022 at Regional West Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, October 17, 2022 at Faith Lutheran Church in Gering, NE. A second memorial service will be held 11:00 am Friday, October 21, 2022 at Concordia Lutheran Church followed by committal at the Steamboat Springs, CO Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made in Bill’s name to: Faith Lutheran Church P.O. Box 307 Gering, NE 69341; or Routt County Fair P.O. Box 1000 Hayden, CO 81639. Memorial baskets will be available at the services, as well. Online condolences may be made by viewing Bill’s memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com. Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff is entrusted with arrangements.
Bill was born April 25, 1932 in Fort Collins to W. Edwin and Emilie (Propp) Baldwin. He lived his early life in Rand, Colorado until his parents purchased a ranch in Steamboat Springs in April 1941. He attended school in Steamboat Springs where he was the senior class president in 1950. He married the love of his life, Alma Jean Wellnitz, on September 18, 1955 in Rushville, Nebraska. He graduated from Colorado A&M (now Colorado State University) with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in May, 1956 and went into the Air Force Veterinary Corp. He served as Base Veterinarian at the US Air Force Base in Misawa, Japan with duties of food inspection and Base sentry dog’s health. Alma joined him and daughter, Kathy was born 1957 while they were there. After completing his military obligation, the family moved to Loveland, CO where he joined a mixed animal veterinary practice. During this time, daughter, Caroline in 1958, and son, Bill in 1959, were born. After five years, the family moved back to Steamboat Springs and he joined the Steamboat Veterinary Hospital. He was in this practice for 35 years until his retirement in 1997. Daughter, Janet Marie, was born in 1965 after the three older kids were in school. Janet died of lymphoblastic leukemia at four years of age.
Bill served in many civic and community organizations: the Steamboat Springs School Board for 8 years during this tenure he served four years as Board President; Yampa Valley Land Trust, a founding member and president, Yampa Valley Foundation Board; Colorado Mountain College Foundation Board; Routt County Farm Bureau Board (served as president), Routt County Cattlemen member, Concordia Lutheran Church board member and past congregational president, Faith Lutheran Church member; and Scotts Bluff County Farm Bureau member. He and Alma were the 1998 Routt County Fair Marshalls and he was awarded the 2007 Leckenby Award.
Bill also had a lifelong love of ranching. He enjoyed putting a shovel on his shoulder and “chasing “water around the flood irrigated meadows in Steamboat. After moving to Nebraska in 1997, he and Alma would return to Steamboat in the summers to run pasture cattle up until 2007, when they remained in Nebraska year-round. Among his Nebraska ranch interests, Bill was the primary builder of electric fence along with his grandson Clay.
Bill is survived by his wife of 67 years, Alma; daughter Kathy (Albert) Deepe of Hayden CO; daughter Caroline (John) Sabin of North Platte, NE; son Bill (Queeda) Baldwin of Mitchell NE; grandchildren and great grandchildren: Nathan (Jess) Deepe (Owen and Natalie) of Firestone, CO; Andrea Deepe of Loveland, CO; Janel (Matt) Russell (Audrey and Daphne)of Okatie, SC; Luke Sabin of San Diego, CA; Jared Sabin of Omaha, NE; Kyra (Chris) Jorgensen (Mabel, James, and John) of Hardin, MT; and Tevyn Baldwin, Clay Baldwin and Ryal Baldwin, all of Mitchell, NE; brother-in-law, Warren Wellnitz, San Diego, CA, sisters-in-law, Joyce Wellnitz and MaryAnne Wellnitz both of Rushville; and many nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Janet; Brother and sister-in-law Harold and Carol (Pieper) Baldwin; Brothers-in- law, Willard Wellnitz and Jim Wellnitz; and Sister-in law, Bernice (Hallock) Wellnitz.
Besides his strong love of family and his faith, Bill’s lasting legacy is preservation of open space and promotion of animal agriculture in Northwest Colorado.
Bill was born April 25, 1932 in Fort Collins to W. Edwin and Emilie (Propp) Baldwin. He lived his early life in Rand, Colorado until his parents purchased a ranch in Steamboat Springs in April 1941. He attended school in Steamboat Springs where he was the senior class president in 1950. He married the love of his life, Alma Jean Wellnitz, on September 18, 1955 in Rushville, Nebraska. He graduated from Colorado A&M (now Colorado State University) with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in May, 1956 and went into the Air Force Veterinary Corp. He served as Base Veterinarian at the US Air Force Base in Misawa, Japan with duties of food inspection and Base sentry dog’s health. Alma joined him and daughter, Kathy was born 1957 while they were there. After completing his military obligation, the family moved to Loveland, CO where he joined a mixed animal veterinary practice. During this time, daughter, Caroline in 1958, and son, Bill in 1959, were born. After five years, the family moved back to Steamboat Springs and he joined the Steamboat Veterinary Hospital. He was in this practice for 35 years until his retirement in 1997. Daughter, Janet Marie, was born in 1965 after the three older kids were in school. Janet died of lymphoblastic leukemia at four years of age.
Bill served in many civic and community organizations: the Steamboat Springs School Board for 8 years during this tenure he served four years as Board President; Yampa Valley Land Trust, a founding member and president, Yampa Valley Foundation Board; Colorado Mountain College Foundation Board; Routt County Farm Bureau Board (served as president), Routt County Cattlemen member, Concordia Lutheran Church board member and past congregational president, Faith Lutheran Church member; and Scotts Bluff County Farm Bureau member. He and Alma were the 1998 Routt County Fair Marshalls and he was awarded the 2007 Leckenby Award.
Bill also had a lifelong love of ranching. He enjoyed putting a shovel on his shoulder and “chasing “water around the flood irrigated meadows in Steamboat. After moving to Nebraska in 1997, he and Alma would return to Steamboat in the summers to run pasture cattle up until 2007, when they remained in Nebraska year-round. Among his Nebraska ranch interests, Bill was the primary builder of electric fence along with his grandson Clay.
Bill is survived by his wife of 67 years, Alma; daughter Kathy (Albert) Deepe of Hayden CO; daughter Caroline (John) Sabin of North Platte, NE; son Bill (Queeda) Baldwin of Mitchell NE; grandchildren and great grandchildren: Nathan (Jess) Deepe (Owen and Natalie) of Firestone, CO; Andrea Deepe of Loveland, CO; Janel (Matt) Russell (Audrey and Daphne)of Okatie, SC; Luke Sabin of San Diego, CA; Jared Sabin of Omaha, NE; Kyra (Chris) Jorgensen (Mabel, James, and John) of Hardin, MT; and Tevyn Baldwin, Clay Baldwin and Ryal Baldwin, all of Mitchell, NE; brother-in-law, Warren Wellnitz, San Diego, CA, sisters-in-law, Joyce Wellnitz and MaryAnne Wellnitz both of Rushville; and many nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Janet; Brother and sister-in-law Harold and Carol (Pieper) Baldwin; Brothers-in- law, Willard Wellnitz and Jim Wellnitz; and Sister-in law, Bernice (Hallock) Wellnitz.
Besides his strong love of family and his faith, Bill’s lasting legacy is preservation of open space and promotion of animal agriculture in Northwest Colorado.