charlie Baker
Born in 1928 and raised in the shoemaking center of Brockton, Mass. Charlie started drawing as child and has been creating art ever since. His art education started in high school where he took classes on weekends at the Boston Museum of Fine Art. After graduating in 1946, he continued full time course work at the Museum School.
Charlie road tripped to Mexico City just to hang out and watch Diego Rivera paint the National Palace Murals. Palace guards saw so much of him, they started offering to share their sandwiches with him.
After a tour of duty in Korea, Charlie entered the design field as a stylist and designer of men’s shoes for the Stetson Shoe Company. That’s where he met his wife, Madelon.
While at Stetson, Charlie went to the White House to meet with President Lyndon B. Johnson, personally measure the Presidents feet, then oversee the process of creating for him a customized pair of high end dress shoes.
Charlie and Madelon moved their family to the Chicagoland area in 1967 so Charlie could assume the role of head designer for Florsheim Shoes in Chicago.
In 1980, while still working for Florsheim, Charlie spent his Sundays painting at the Pallett and Chisel Academy in Chicago, and various evenings during the week were spent participating in figure drawing groups throughout the suburbs.
Madelon’s passion for weaving was what initially brought them to Mineral Point. They liked Mineral Point so much they decided to retire here in the late 80’s. Madelon enjoyed the weaving community, and Charlie took up printmaking, wood/stone carving, haiku poetry, and now photography.
Charlie, a life long coffee drinker, helps Dave hone his coffee roasting/making skills by drinking coffee and offering his feedback.
Madelon Baker
Born: 9/11/19 - Passed away: 6/9/21 at 102yo
Madelon was born and raised in Brockton Mass. She graduated high school in 1937. She did a two year stint at University of New Hampshire where she, “majored in FUN.” She had so much fun the Dean suggested she not return for a third year. So she returned to Boston, went to business school, and ultimately ended up working at Stetson Shoe Company…where she met her husband, Charlie.
Madelon, a strong and determined woman who was also creative in her own right, had always been into knitting and sewing (and as we all know, majoring in “FUN” also requires high levels of creativity!). However, it was not until the family moved to the Chicago suburb of Geneva Il. (Circa 1977) that she was introduced to, and fell in love with, weaving. Geneva is where, on a whim, she signed up for a local weaving class, and was instantly hooked!
Over the years of pursuing her new found passion, she heard talk of Ken Colwell, a weaver from Mineral Point. When Charlie was getting close to retiring they decided to take a few trips to Southwestern Wisconsin to check the area out as a potential place to retire to. While initially thinking about retiring to Soldiers Grove, they eventually made a stop in Mineral Point on one of their trips back to the Chicago suburbs. They knew right away Mineral Point was where they wanted to be.
After restoring an old storefront on High Street, converting it into studio/gallery space and living above it for many years, Madelon and Charlie moved down the road into what we now call, The Writer’s Cottage.
Madelon was also a lifelong coffee drinker helping influence son Dave’s passion for coffee.
