Sally was born, or as we prefer saying “was a gift from God to earth” on November 17, 1929, to Roy and Alta Miles.  She always claimed that her birth had a global impact; it caused the stock-market crash. She also claimed that she was very good just as God had said in Genesis 1:31. From the beginning, everyone knew that Sally was special and lived on a different plane. She was an overcomer, a winner. As a little girl, she was terribly burned over most of her body.  The doctors did not expect her to survive. She could only sit up in a chair for six months. They changed bandages every day. She overcame. Sally had six major cancer surgeries and numerous organs removed.  In addition, she had other skin cancers removed. She survived a brain aneurism, 8.5-hour brain surgery, and 31 days of laying motionless in a coma. It took her 30 years to regain her initial fun-loving, teasing spirit. She recovered from a broken leg and nasty infection. She overcame a shattered pelvis from a roller-skating fall. She had 2 strokes and numerous TIA’s; lost all her hearing, outlived dementia, and overcame being bed-ridden.  Anyway, you view Sally’s life, she was an “overcomer.” That is one of the legacies she left to her two sons and her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Sally graduated from Central High School in Springfield in 1947. She and Ed were married in 1948. Gary was born in 1950 and Tom in 1954. During high school and in the early months of their marriage, she worked behind the lunch counter at Kresge’s Dime Store on the Square in downtown. Later, she worked part-time as a secretary at the printing company dad owned. However, foremost and primarily she was a wife, mother, and superb homemaker. She loved being married, mothering two sons, keeping the home, and making it as close to heaven on earth as possible for her family.

Sally and Ed met when she was 16 and he was 15. They met at Doling Park at the skating rink. He saw her, skated next to her, and asked her to skate with him. She thought Ed and her brother, Harry, were good friends, so she skated with him.  Later, Ed took her home.  Yes, he was driving a delivery truck and owned his own car at 15. Sally did not know until she got home that Harry had no idea who Ed was. But the first meeting lasted a lifetime.  They were married 57 years. They married in November of Ed’s senior year of high school.

Sally and Ed greatly loved their boys and their two daughters-in-law.  They were so proud of all four of them and the persons they became and all they accomplished in life. Likewise, they deeply loved and supported their four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Sally’s spiritual journey began when she was in her early twenties. She began meeting with a group of ladies who taught her how to quilt.  She loved being with the ladies, quilting, letting Gary play with the other toddlers, and just chatting about life. They invited her to Bois D’Arc Baptist Church. In time, she encountered God personally and was baptized. She remained very active in the church. In time Ed and both sons had personal encounters with God and were baptized.

Sally’s faith was lived, not talked about. Weekly, she took meals and spent time with a young mother who was a polio victim and lived in an iron-lung. She discussed Bible with her, cared for her children, helped with house choirs, brought foodstuffs from the government food bank. She and dad monthly delivered foodstuffs from the food bank in Springfield to families all over the Bois D’Arc, Willard, Ashgrove, and Republic communities. She and the quilters provided quilts and other items for families who houses burned and all was lost. For years, she taught 11^th and 12^th grade girls in Sunday School, but she did much more than simply teach in class. Often, she had slumber parties for the young ladies. She would have special guests to teach them practical things such as: putting on makeup, fashion and proper dress, hygiene, proper dating and issues with boys, and some cooking skills.  Sally was a very “progressive” (full of grace and mercy to everyone, non-judgmental) follower of Christ.

She always taught at Vacation Bible School. She and dad hosted numerous prayer meetings for spring and fall revivals. Sally and Ed always made sure poor children could get to school, church and to play sports. Her prayer life was awesome. She daily prayed for US Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, Supreme Court Judges, World Leaders, Veterans, her pastor, her husband, her children and grand and great grandchildren.

Sally’s personality, some would say, was a lot like God’s. She loved to laugh, giggle, and have a good time. She was happy to the core. She was an encourager and helper. Yet, she could be tough.  Like God, she could get angry. She was an excellent disciplinarian.  Both Tom and Gary experienced and felt her wrath. She never waited for dad to get home to spank or correct the boys.  She handled that well.

She loved to play games such as: Hand and Foot, RummiKub, Skipbo, Mexican Dominoes, Phase Ten, Pinnacle, etc.  Sally loved to win; She really loved to win. She was known to cheat, and then when she won, she just laughed and smiled. For a while, she and dad square-danced.  Yes, they were Baptist. As dad would say, dancing is in the Bible.

She could bake; she should have operated a bakery. Her pound and three-pound fruit cakes are famous.  Her pies, some would say, were from heaven: apple, cherry, pineapple cream, banana cream, coconut cream, chocolate cream, pecan, rhubarb, and mincemeat. Her blackberry and peach cobblers and apricot fried pies were second to none.

Sally loved candy, any kind, but especially chocolate.  She hid it all over the house.  There is hidden candy there now. Peanut clusters, chocolate covered peanuts, turtles, pink puffs, Easter candy; she loved it all.

Sally is preceded in death:  by her parents (Roy and Alta Miles); her siblings (Roy Jr., Gene, Betty and Harry Miles); her husband (Eddie Baldwin); and her daughter-in-law (Elaine Baldwin).

Sally is survived: by her two sons (Gary and Tom Baldwin); her daughter-in-law (Rhonda Baldwin); four grandchildren (Shannon and his wife Marcie, Shawn and his wife Adriane, Sheree and her husband Seth; and Tyler); and four great grandchildren (Trent, Conner, Brooke and Leigh).

Sally is survived by one very dear friend who is like a third child to her. Sally called her “My Mary” and she referred to Sally as “My Buddy.” Mary’s grandchildren called Sally, “Grandma.” Mary has been the most wonderful caregiver and friend a person could ever have. The whole Baldwin family love and appreciate Mary. She has been God’s angel to our mother.