Evelyn Baldwin, 2nd wife of Director D.W. Griffith, was born "Evelyn
Marjorie Baldwin", on Feb. 24, 1910, in College Point, Queens County,
New York, just in time be included in the US 1910 Census. Her parents
were Captain Robert Albert & Sarah (Cottrell) Baldwin, and was the 3rd
of 4 children. Her father Robert was Captain of an oyster harvesting
boat. Her father died in 1927 when his sloop sank during a severe
storm; his body was never recovered.
According to her memorial in FindAGrave.com, Evelyn first met D.W.
Griffith, her future 1st husband, at a charity event at the Astor Hotel
in New York City, when she was 16 or 17, where D.W. Griffith was the
Guest of Honor.
She went on to perform on Stage.
Almost immediately after D.W. Griffith divorced his 1st wife, Actress
Linda Arvidson, he married Evelyn Baldwin in 1936. They divorced
in 1947. They had no children.
She later married Werner P. Kunze, and appeared as herself in a
documentary about D.W. Griffith under the name "Evelyn Baldwin Kunze".
Werner died in 2002, and Evelyn died in 2004. She is buried with her
2nd husband in Lew Beach Cemetery, Lewbeach, Sullivan County, New York.
Genealogy: Evelyn was descended from a line of Baldwin's extending back
to John Baldwin of the Hale (1490 - 1556). As a result, she has many
famous 21st Century Actors / Actresses / Performers as cousins. She's a
cousin to the Actors Baldwin Brothers (Alec, Daniel, William ("Billy"),
and Stephen), to Bill (William) Cosby (Jr.), and Beyonce (Knowles), all
descended from John Baldwin of the Hale. She has many other famous
cousins too, such as Mark and Donald ("Donnie") Wahlberg.
