Page:Women of Ohio; a record of their achievements in the history of the state (Vol. I).djvu/98

94 LIDA F. BALDWIN, mathematician, writer and teacher for 34 years in the Rayen School of Youngstown, O., will, most present and former stu- dents of the school believe, be remembered long after many educators now enjoying world wide fame are quite forgotten. This was indicated, as far as Youngstown is concerned, at the time of Miss Baldwin’s funeral in October, 1938. She was 83 years old when she died but even so, nobody seemed to think her time had come. Had not Miss Lida learned to drive a car when she was past 70? Had she not, at 76, made a trip into almost im- penetrable areas of Pymatuming Swamp, wearing out and leaving behind the youngsters who started out with her? Why, Miss Lida was past 60 before she even broke into the Atlantic Monthly. She did not retire from school until eight years ago. After that she devoted herself more than ever to nature study, in which field her research won her scholastic recognition for many years. Miss Baldwin was born in 1855, at Leavittsburg, 0. She was the daughter of George Baldwin, a descendant of pioneers who came to Ohio in covered wagons from Connecticut. She was graduated from Lebanon Normal School and taught 19 years before coming to Youngstown, making her teaching service total 53 years. Former pupils of Miss Baldwin who had scattered to various parts of the world, made a habit of calling on her whenever they visited their home town. Students who had gone on to college came back to show their grades in entrance exams. Some of these could show 100%. One of them, in writing his thesis for his doctor’s degree at John’s Hopkins, preceded it with a tribute to Miss Baldwin. These are some of the reasons why Youngstown believes Miss Baldwin will never be forgotten. They certainly seem good reasons.

DORCAS BEER of Bucyrus, Ohio, was a teacher in Yonkers, New York for 10 years before returning to her home town to teach for 30 years in Bucyrus High School. It was after the awful shirtwaist factory fire in the east that Dorcas returned to Ohio to join her sister, KATHRYN BEER in a speaking engage- ment in 10 counties of the state. Their father was Judge Thomas Beer. In 1917, Miss Dorcas Beer was sent as a delegate to a suffrage meeting in Washington, D. C.

She was one of the organizers of the Red Cross and spoke over Crawford County in its behalf. She organized the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1911 and was the first regent of Hannah Crawford Chapter, D. A. R. in Bucyrus.