Chuck and Cathie Baldwin were driving in the predawn hours of Election Day to fulfill their roles as polling place volunteers in rural Missouri when floodwaters from an overflowing creek swept their vehicle off the road. Married for over fifty years, the couple was later found dead, holding onto each other and a tree.
Wright County Sheriff Sonny Byerley reported that the Baldwins, who were dedicated election volunteers, attempted to swim to safety but succumbed to the floodwaters, becoming among at least five fatalities due to Tuesday’s torrential rains in the state.
“When I’d go to the polling locations, they were there and they were always happy to be a part of it,” said Byerley, who oversees the county of about 19,000 residents, located 210 miles southeast of Kansas City. “They believed in the American republic and the polling system.”
Authorities withheld the names of the deceased, only stating that the man was 70 and the woman was 73. However, their daughter, Michelle Baldwin-Bostian of North Carolina, confirmed their identities on Wednesday.
News of the tragedy quickly reached the couple’s friends in the tiny, close-knit community of Manes, Missouri, where voters cast their ballots in a music hall that frequently hosts local performances. Despite living in a heavily Republican area, the Baldwins, who were Democrats, were selected to be part of a bipartisan team at the polls, according to Patty Squirell, a 52-year-old coworker of Cathie Baldwin at a liquor store in nearby Mountain Grove.
“Cathie was an angel on earth. She was so nonjudgmental, loving, and kind. We’re all in deep mourning,” Squirell shared.
Neighbor Tanisha Ledford, who lived on the same dirt road as the Baldwins for a decade, reminisced about how the couple looked after her children while she worked multiple jobs, often returning home as late as 3 a.m.
“You couldn’t go wrong with either one of them,” said Ledford. “Chuck stood up for the innocent, and Cathie would feed the poor. I watched her do it. No one went hungry around her.”
Lindsi Snyder, a teacher at Manes Elementary, described how her parents were close to the Baldwins. She recalled Chuck, who wasn’t even 18 when he met Cathie, and how the young couple quickly decided to marry. Cathie commemorated their 52nd wedding anniversary in 2022 with a Facebook post, calling Chuck “the love of my life.”
According to the sheriff, the Baldwins were driving on a two-lane highway around 4:30 a.m. when their car was abruptly carried away by floodwaters from the rapidly rising Beaver Creek.
Three teenage boys in another vehicle swept away around the same time managed to swim to safety and reached a nearby house to call 911. The boys then returned to the water in a valiant attempt to save the Baldwins.
“They were out of their car, clinging to a tree,” Byerley explained.
Despite their efforts, the current was too powerful, preventing the boys from reaching the couple. Using a drone, Byerley spotted the couple embracing each other and holding onto low-lying tree limbs, but rescuers couldn’t reach them in time. Cathie and Chuck died in each other’s arms, according to the sheriff.
Snyder arrived at the music hall later that morning, recalling playful exchanges with Chuck and her anticipation of seeing him at the polls. Upon voting, she inquired about Chuck’s whereabouts from an election worker.
“And they go: ‘Lindsi, you didn’t know?’”
Snyder burst into tears upon hearing the tragic news. Her friends had drowned just 2 miles from the music hall.
“He would do anything for anybody,” she said of Chuck, a retired construction worker. “He was just a good person. They both were.”
Since Sunday, more than 10 inches of rain have drenched parts of the state, causing over 100 road closures. More rain is expected Saturday.
The rapidly rising Meramec River threatened homes and businesses outside St. Louis, including in Pacific, Missouri. City leaders urged many of its 7,500 residents to evacuate, and nearby schools canceled classes for the rest of the week. The river is predicted to crest by Friday, risking widespread flooding.
Missouri state Rep. Hannah Kelly, a Republican representing Wright County, expressed her sorrow, acknowledging the Baldwins’ loss transcends political lines.
“No matter what party line a person falls on today, no matter whether you’re sad or happy the morning after the election, I think we all can agree that it’s heart wrenching,” Kelly said.
Reflecting on the couple’s tragic end, neighbor Ledford believed they died together for a reason.
“I wholeheartedly believe the Lord planned that one because neither one of them could have been without the other in any way, shape, or form,” she said. “They were actually made for each other. You know, people say that, but that actually happened with them.”
