[Oe List ...] Jim Baumbach: A Westside Story

[Paula Philbrook]

Jim and Alice were active Fifth City residents for a long time. During the
US bicentennial (1976) we escorted a group of Fifth citizens on a bus to
the national capital of Washington DC to see all the sites.
Jim carried his camera. He was a great photographer and documented our
entire trip. Once  as he was taking a photograph. He leaned over and said
“Alice thinks I should always be sure there were people in the photographs
so we could remember who we were with and when! They were beautiful
photographs.
Thank you, Jim for sharing your talent. It was a gift to all of us.

Paula

Personal Mission Statement: *I nurture love, peace & harmony in every
situation for my caring family, disempowered communities, and our precious
planet.*


On Fri, Dec 5, 2025 at 1:55 AM Isobel and Jim via OE <
oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

> Thank you for this memory Carol d George! What a gem !💎
> I like to remember Jim as steadfast, just my name for Jim.
> With my love from down here;  as summer stirs her heat on us.
> Isobel
>
>
>
> Isobel Bishop
> Mob.  0412 129 425
>
> On 5 Dec 2025, at 7:57 am, Alice Baumbach via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
> wrote:
>
> 
> Thank you George and Carol! What a fantastic story!
>
> On Thu, Dec 4, 2025, 1:18 PM Nancy Lanphear via OE <
> oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
>
>> A great story to be added to the “book”of stories and memories of this
>> amazing community. What a wild, messy and inspiring  journey we’ve been on.
>> Nancy
>>
>> On Dec 4, 2025, at 7:47 AM, Sunny Walker via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> 
>> And what similar stories we could have for each of us - we were/are a
>> wonder. May the wonder continue and the blessings roll down.
>> Sunny
>> ------------------------------
>> *From:* OE <oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net> on behalf of
>> carol.walters--- via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
>> *Sent:* Thursday, December 4, 2025 8:40 AM
>> *To:* ORDER LISTSERVE <oe at wedgeblade.net>
>> *Cc:* carol.walters at yahoo.com <carol.walters at yahoo.com>
>> *Subject:* [Oe List ...] Jim Baumbach: A Westside Story
>>
>> The following story was written by George Walters after we talked
>> together about our memories of the Baumbach's when we lived and worked
>> together.
>>
>> Jim Baumbach: A Westside Story
>>
>> By George Walters
>>
>> It was a cold Chicago winter, 1977, and the old Westside Bethany Seminary
>> where the ICA colleagues lived to work in Fifth City was suddenly without
>> heat for the third time. All the stopgap solutions had not worked on the
>> ancient steam heating system. We were getting quotes on a new system, which
>> for an NGO budget were astronomical.
>>
>> Jim had spoken to me several times about a treatment and restoration
>> system of the old system and pipes that his company sold around the world
>> and so we talked again and he said, “Let me show you what is possible.”  I
>> okayed a modest budget so he could go to work.
>>
>> We managed to clunk along for several days by wearing sweaters and
>> jackets, kept warm enough to work.  Suddenly after about a week, the
>> heat was on everywhere. A knock on my door and Jim was standing there
>> smiling and saying, “come look.”
>>
>> Down into the basement we went, and I could hear the roar of the furnace
>> as we approached and there it was – new pipes painted red, and a series of
>> drums of chemicals across the floor with tubing tied into new valves with
>> handles you could turn. He and our building super, Mike Ford, were beaming
>> from ear to ear as they explained to me the technology and the chemicals
>> being applied.
>>
>> “This tank will begin to clean out the rust and corrosion across the
>> entire 5 story campus” he said. “This tank will prevent new build up of
>> corrosion” he added. “This big barrel will collect the corrosion which we
>> can then have hauled away. Mike will gradually increase the corrosion,
>> removal chemicals and increase the chemicals that prevent build-up.  I
>> will help him monitor.”
>>
>> But then there was the long-term issue. It was still an old system which
>> could have other ailments. The chemicals were costly and would need to be
>> sustained to sustain the system. Jim just smiled and said, yes that is all
>> true, but we’ll tackle that next winter. I agreed. I’m not sure how the
>> rest of that winter got paid for, but I think I know. By the next winter, I
>> was gone and we soon left the old campus in favor of the Bethany Hospital’s
>> expansion plan.
>>
>> Today as we mourn Jim’s passing, we all remember the consummate
>> professional he was, and the generous spirit he embodied as shown in this
>> one of many stories.
>>
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