Emma Grace Baldwin
United States Navy, WAVES, World War II
Seaman Specialist First Class – Links Trainer
August 27, 2026 - Emma Grace Baldwin was born on August 26, 1912, in Woods, Panola County, Texas, to James Samuel Baldwin and Valta Lee Goolsby Baldwin. Her birth certificate, issued by the Texas State Board of Health, identifies her as a white female, the legitimate child of American parents. She grew up in Shelby County, Texas, alongside her siblings: Anna Mildred, James Edmond, and James Samuel Jr. The 1920 Census shows Emma, at age 9, living with her parents—Sam, 31, and Valta, 29—and siblings in Justice Precinct 5, reflecting a household steeped in Southern heritage. By 1930, at 17, she was still in Precinct 5, attending school and able to read and write, laying the foundation for her future educational pursuits.
Emma's academic achievements were notable. On August 12, 1931, at age 18, she graduated from the College of Marshall (now East Texas Baptist University) in Marshall, Texas, as reported in The Marshall News Messenger. She later earned a degree from the University of Texas, a milestone that shaped her career. By 1940, at 27, she was living as a lodger in Smith, Texas, working as a public school teacher after completing four years of college.
Her life took a significant turn with the onset of World War II. On March 11, 1943, at age 30, Emma enlisted in the U.S. Navy, joining the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). Her military journey began with training at Hunter College in New York, as noted in her biographical outline. Muster rolls from the U.S. Naval Training School in the Bronx, New York, for the month ending June 30, 1943, list her as a Seaman Apprentice (S2c), with her enlistment dated March 11, 1943, from Dallas, Texas. By June 13, 1943, she transferred to the U.S. Naval Air Station in Atlanta, Georgia, still holding the rank of S2c. A Report of Changes from the U.S. Naval Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, for April 30, 1943, confirms her presence, though her status remained unchanged during that period.
Emma's service continued to evolve as she moved to the Naval Auxiliary Air Station at Chase Field, Beeville, Texas. A Report of Changes for May 1944 shows her promoted to Specialist (Teacher) 2nd Class (Sp(T)2c) effective March 1, 1944, reflecting her role as a Link Trainer Instructor in Corpus Christi, Texas, a position detailed in her biographical outline. Muster rolls from NAS Corpus Christi for the quarter ending September 30, 1943, and June 30, 1944, consistently list her with service number 574-69-68, assigned to the V-10 USNR branch, indicating her ongoing duty. A Report of Changes from January 1945 at Chase Field notes her continued service, with a change in status recorded on December 31, 1944. Her final muster roll from April 1945 at Cuddihy Field, Corpus Christi, confirms her presence through June 30, 1944, with no further changes noted by that point.
Emma was honorably discharged on September 25, 1945, at age 33, earning the World War II Victory Medal and a honorable discharge lapel pin. Her military records highlight her dedication, serving across multiple stations including the Bronx, Atlanta, Brooklyn, and Corpus Christi, with a promotion reflecting her teaching expertise.
After the war, Emma returned to Tenaha, Texas. The 1950 Census shows her living with her widowed mother, Valta, at 37, working as a clerk at the Tenaha Grocery, earning $2,200 annually. That year, her father, James Samuel, passed away at 61 and was buried in Restland Cemetery, Tenaha. In 1953, her mother, Valta, died at 63, also buried in Restland Cemetery.
Emma's career in education flourished post-war. By 1958, at 46, she taught at Durkee Elementary School in Houston, Texas. Her passion led her to Okinawa, Japan, where she became a principal and taught for 12 years at the American Independent Schools, retiring in 1972. She also ran the Tenaha Grocery from 1947 to 1957, showcasing her entrepreneurial spirit.
A lifelong member of the First Baptist Church of Tenaha, Emma never married and had no children, but her family ties remained strong. Her obituary, published in the Longview News-Journal on December 4, 1989, lists survivors including sister Anna Mildred Woods and brother-in-law Lloyd Woods of Tenaha, sister-in-law Doris Baldwin of Logansport, Louisiana, and several aunts and cousins.
Emma Grace Baldwin passed away on December 2, 1989, at age 77 in Woods, Panola County, Texas, from natural causes. Her funeral was held at the First Baptist Church of Tenaha, officiated by Revs. Raymond Guthrie and James R. Edwards, with burial in Restland Cemetery under Hawthorn Funeral Home. On March 10, 2025, she was registered with the Military Women’s Memorial, honoring her Navy service. Memorials were suggested to Special Missions Projects at her church or East Texas Baptist University, reflecting her lifelong devotion to faith and education. Day is done, God is nigh.
This biography was compiled (written) by Grok 3, an artificial intelligence developed by xAI, using historical records, including U.S. Census data, Texas marriage records, and military service documents, researched and provided by the user, Larry E. Hume, VFW Post 8904, Center, Texas. For more information on Grok 3, visit https://x.ai/grok.
Sources:
• Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin, TX; Texas, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1903-1932
• Year: 1920; Census Place: Justice Precinct 5, Shelby, Texas; Roll: T625_1846; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 192
• Year: 1930; Census Place: Precinct 5, Shelby, Texas; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 0015; FHL microfilm: 2342124
• The Marshall News Messenger; Publication Date: 12 Aug 1931; Publication Place: Marshall, Texas, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/319851231/?article=2b9a0deb-771d-430f-b2a6-1bf546e8bfdc&xid=4720&terms=Emma_Grace_Baldwin
• The National Archives at College Park, Maryland; College Park, MD, USA; Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 01/01/1939 - 01/01/1949; Record Group Title: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798-2007; Record Group:: 24
• The National Archives at College Park, Maryland; College Park, MD, USA; Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 01/01/1939 - 01/01/1949; Record Group Title: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798-2007; Record Group:: 24
• The National Archives at College Park, Maryland; College Park, MD, USA; Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 01/01/1939 - 01/01/1949; Record Group Title: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798-2007; Record Group:: 24
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74301745/james_samuel-baldwin
• National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Shelby, Texas; Roll: 1613; Page: 10; Enumeration District: 210-28
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74301764/valta_lee-baldwin
• “Article Clipped from Longview News-Journal.” Longview News-Journal, 4 Dec. 1989, p. 21. newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/article/longview-news-journal/167648569/.
