Early businessman William (Jay) Baldock dead at age 93

William Baldock, or Jay as he was known to most, died April 9. He was born in Mangum, Okla. on Oct. 15, 1916.

Married in 1938 to Golden Baldock, the couple moved to Maricopa in 1952 from New Mexico due to the urging of her brother, local farmer Edward Farrell. They purchased a grocery story, the Maricopa Mercantile, from the Brown family. The store, which was torn down in September 2007 to allow for the widening of the intersection, was located at the corner of SR 347 and Honeycutt Road.

Over the next 30 years the couple spent six days a week, 12 hours a day, selling food, dry goods, hardware, animal feed and other necessities to the people in Maricopa and from the surrounding Indian communities. They also provided banking services before there was a bank and formed the Maricopa Water Co. to provide tap water for residents.

After the Baldocks retired, their son-in-law James Kellogg and daughter Paula ran the store for 15 years.

At the second annual Founders Day in 2005 Jay and Golden Baldock received the key to the city of Maricopa. They also celebrated 53 years of being open for business as Mayfair Market.

Baldock is survived by his wife of 71 years, Golden, who currently resides in Ahwatukee, daughter Paula and husband James Kellogg of Maricopa, son Bobby and his wife Spunky Baldock, four granddaughters, two grandsons, eight great-grandchildren and three great, great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be for family only, but in the next few months a celebration of Jay Baldock’s life will be held.

File photo