The Mountain Enterprise staff

Neighbors, friends and family were all trading favorite stories about Merrill “Curly” Baughman this week. The Los Padres Estates (Lebec) resident died on Saturday, April 4 at 99 years of age, surrounded by family.

“I love him like a grandfather,” said Kern County Sheriff’s Sergeant Mark Brown, of the Frazier Park substation. “He was the kindest man I ever knew, and the man all good men aspire to be.”

At the end of February, Baughman was honored at a banquet in Bakersfield for his 20 years as a volunteer with the Kern County Sheriff’s Community Service Volunteer Program. He often dressed in a crisp KCSO volunteer’s uniform, and was driving his own car until a year ago.

Baughman was everybody’s favorite neighbor, no matter where you…(please see below to view full stories and photographs)

Photo captions:

Merrill Baughman with award, surrounded by family and friends Feb. 21

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This is part of the April 10, 2015 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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