Mae Marie Baldwin

Mae Marie Baldwin, born on May 11, 1935, in Danvers, Minnesota, passed away on March 4, 2026, at the Knute Nelson Care Center, surrounded by her family. A cherished daughter of Arthur and Beulah (Jacobs) Molden, she grew up on the family century farm near Big Bend with her brothers Ronald and Dennis. She attended country school and graduated from Appleton High School in 1952 before moving to Montevideo for her first office job.

In January 1954, Mae married her high school sweetheart, Jay Baldwin, at Big Bend Lutheran Church. Together they raised three children—Pamela, Linda, and Keith—on the family farm surrounded by extended relatives. A talented seamstress, she sewed her children’s clothing, created and sold doll clothes, and took on custom sewing projects. In 1965 the family moved to Owatonna, where Mae worked at Jostens, and later settled in Alexandria in 1971. There she began a 35-year career at Knute Nelson, advancing from administrative assistant to office manager. Known for her meticulous attention to detail, she mentored colleagues, quietly provided meals and financial help to those in need, and brought work home to keep records current.

Mae and Jay shared a rich life centered on family, lake activities, and simple pleasures. They enjoyed fishing, boating, swimming, and hosting lively fish fries and bonfires. Their home on Lake Miltona became a gathering place filled with food, laughter, and grandchildren’s overnights. Mae expressed her love through cooking, especially holiday meals prepared in generous quantities, and was an avid baker and bird watcher who cherished memories of pheasants from her farm childhood. She and Jay traveled to Las Vegas, Florida, Arizona, Wyoming, and Alaska, maintained a garden in hopes of the perfect tomato, and remained the warm heart of their Miltona neighborhood for over a decade.

Mae is survived by her devoted husband of 72 years, Jay Baldwin; children Pamela (Joel) Kamholz of Alexandria and Keith (Kate) Baldwin of Duluth, Minnesota; grandchildren Seth (Tammy) Sundgaard, Calcie (Letina) Sundgaard, and Dakota Baldwin; and great-grandchildren Skylar Arnold, Ivy Sundgaard, Leroy and Abel Wiggins. She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter Linda Stevens, and grandchildren Ivy Linda Marie Sundgaard and Dulcie Mae Marie Sundgaard.