Before Naomi Baldwin’s husband, Charles, passed away six years ago he made her promise him that she would not sit in her room and grieve. Naomi, 92, is doing her best to keep that promise. A Grace Village Retirement Community resident for nearly eight years, Baldwin does anything but sit still. When people have questioned her as to why she doesn’t just rest, she says, “That once I begin to just sit in my chair, I will be done.” Recently, she proved again that life does not end when one moves into a retirement home. She and Charles had lived at Grace Village for a 22 months when he died. As missionaries to Nigeria in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Naomi has plenty of stories to tell. She now has one more story to tell. Since the Baldwins attended Bethany Theological Seminary in Chicago, from 1950-1953, she’s been a fan of the Chicago Cubs. Knowing all of this, Naomi’s niece Suzanne and her husband, Paul, decided to treat Naomi to a Cubs game. On Aug. 21 the Cubs played St. Louis at Wrigley Field. Jennifer, Naomi’s granddaughter, along with Jennifer’s boyfriend, Neil, made the trip with her from Warsaw to Suzanne’s house in the Chicago northwest suburb of Barrington Hills. Naomi gets along quite well with just a walker. However, Paul knew, considering the crowds and the uneven pavement in spots, Naomi’s walker could cause her more hindrance than help. Knowing Naomi would balk at the idea of a wheelchair, Paul had a surprise for her. So as Naomi sat in her niece’s home, Paul explained that the Cubs sent a wheelchair for her. “The Cubs sent that chair?” asked Naomi. Paul smiled and replied, “Yes, they did. Now, you can use their wheelchair to get to your seat, and we will use it again to get you back to the car, but then I have to return it to the Cubs.” Baldwin was in awe. When Baldwin arrived at Wrigley Field it looked so different from the last time she had been there. But then again, the last time was 1953. As they began to merge with the crowd of people, she was surprised at how the crowd parted as if she were royalty. Many people greeted her and told her to have a great time at the game. It seemed as if they walked forever. Naomi was grateful for her Cubs wheelchair. As Paul led the way, they went up ramp after ramp instead of waiting for with the long lines at the elevators. A few times Naomi worried that they would lose Paul in the crowd, but Neil assured her that he could still see him. Finally, Paul announced that they had arrived. Their box held 18 seats. Some of Suzanne and Paul’s friends had already arrived. Naomi found a seat at the end of the second row. Suzanne sat next to her and pretty soon Paul and other family members were taking pictures. Naomi said it seemed as if they took 100 pictures while she sat there. Soon, the game started and Naomi became engrossed in watching it. She loved her view right behind first base. She could see everything. She noticed everyone in their section would get up and get food and drinks from the concessions, switching seats, moving around to talk to each other. In the middle of the fifth inning, Naomi’s interest in the game was interrupted. “Hello, Mrs. Baldwin,” a voice said. Naomi was startled to see a perfect stranger sitting in the row ahead of her turn to address her. “I believe this is your first time to Wrigley Field in a long time. When was the last time you were here?” “Well,” she replied still wondering who he was, “it was 1953.” “I wasn’t even born yet,” he said. “Oh my goodness. All of those years you have kept up with the Cubs?” She told him she had except when they were missionaries in Nigeria, West Africa, for the Church of the Brethren and had no television or electricity over there to watch the Cubs. She started watching the Cubs again in 1961. The man told her his name was Kevin, and he was an Ambassador of the Cubs. He welcomed her to the game. As they continued to talk, Naomi found out the man had worked in Fort Wayne and was very familiar with Warsaw and Winona Lake and even knew where Grace Village was located. She told him her favorite player was Starlin Castro. Since he was her favorite player, he gave Naomi some photos, including an autographed one from Castro. She also got a souvenir book. As Kevin handed her a Cubs cap, he explained he would not put it on her head because he didn’t want to mess up her hair.After he left, Naomi packed away the souvenirs and decided to get something to eat. She noticed the Cubs were losing, but that didn’t deter her excitement. Sometime later as she sat in her seat, once again engrossed in the game, she noticed the seat next to her occupied once again by a stranger. This time Paul was right behind her. He introduced her to Tom Ricketts, the Cubs owner. Ricketts and Naomi talked about Starlin being her favorite player. He told her that he was indeed a nice kid. Naomi was pleased to hear this and to hear that each of the players had rules and regulations that they had to follow. After Ricketts left, Naomi motioned for Paul to come and talk to her. “Are you sure this is the first time you have met this man?” she asked. Finally, Paul confessed to her that he was a good friend of his. After having desert and watching the Cubs finish their losing game to the Cardinals, Naomi was wheeled back to the car for the trip home. “It was a weekend I could not have dreamed up in one thousand years,” she said later. “I was just there to watch the Cubs game. My dear niece and her husband did this all for me. They arranged everything. What a surprise! I still cannot believe I had that kind of evening with the Cubs. I will never forget this as long as I have a memory.”
