The Francis Dewes Mansion in Lincoln Park is a Chicago landmark, known for its baroque detailing, palatial rooms and myriad fireplaces.
The mansion, at 503 W. Wrightwood Ave., has been the scene of many weddings and social events in recent years. But in the decades after it was built in 1896 by a wealthy German-born brewery magnate, it was simply the home of Frances Baumann’s uncle and a grand playground for a child.
Mrs. Baumann, a retired librarian and the daughter of Dewes’ brother, Alfred, kept a plaster model of the mansion throughout her life and would often tell friends about her childhood haunt, said Mary Ann Johnston, a family friend and Mrs. Baumann’s guardian.
“There was a big ballroom where she and her younger sister would run around and play,” Johnston said. “She talked about the carriages out front and how they would hook up the horses.”
Mrs. Baumann, 97, a longtime resident of Park Ridge, died Friday, Oct. 14, in her home of lung cancer.
A retired librarian for the Chicago Public Library, Mrs. Baumann was known as an avid reader and a lover of bridge.
“She played bridge as recently as July,” Johnston said. “She had a wonderful mind.”
She also was a world traveler. Accompanied by her late husband, Bernard, and their daughter, Mary Frances, she visited Jerusalem, Greece, England, France, Germany and the Caribbean.
Mrs. Baumann’s life was marked by her volunteerism, beginning during World War II when she became involved in USO efforts while her husband served as a major in the U.S. Army. She also rolled bandages for the Red Cross, Johnston said.
She later became involved with Clearbrook, an Arlington Heights-based organization that provides services to adults and children with developmental disabilities.
Mrs. Baumann was one of the founding members of a group that was instrumental in building Lattof Commons, a Clearbrook facility in Rolling Meadows. She also served on Clearbrook’s human rights advisory committee, which reviewed programs and advocated on behalf of clients.
“She was a lovely, genteel lady,” said Susan Kaufman, vice president of adult services for Clearbrook. “She was respectful to everyone she met.”
Mrs. Baumann is survived by her daughter.
Memorial services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Friedrichs Funeral Home, 320 Central Rd., Mt. Prospect.
———-
rwronski@tribune.com
