Grandpa's Cheese Barn patriarch Paul 'Dick' Baum, dead at age 93

Eric Marotta, Akron Beacon Journal
·2 min read
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"Grandpa" Dick Baum is seen behind the cheese counter of Grandpa's Cheese Barn in June 2013.
"Grandpa" Dick Baum is seen behind the cheese counter of Grandpa's Cheese Barn in June 2013.

Paul "Dick" Baum, otherwise known as the "Grandpa" of Grandpa's Cheese Barn & Sweetie's Chocolates, died Thursday at age 93.

Baum and his wife, Vera, celebrated 73 years of marriage on Dec. 4, the Ashland-based company announced in a Facebook post.

"We’ve been blessed with their guidance & presence all these years," the company said. "The Lord has a greater purpose and has called him home for Christmas."

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Notable as a stop for travelers marked by its billboard on I-71, the Ohio institution was founded in 1978 by Richard and Ronda Poorbaugh along with "Grandpa" Baum, Ronda’s father. According to a company history, Baum started in business by continuing a tradition dating back to the early 1900s, when he followed in the footsteps of "Grandpa Yarman," by taking over Yarman's West Salem store − and marrying Yarman's daughter.

While Yarman had become famous for his smoked meats, Baum "explored new areas in Ohio to obtain the best Colby, Swiss, baby Swiss and many other types of local cheeses," the history states.

Dick Baum, aka Grandpa, is seen in the mural behind the cheese counter Grandpa's Cheese Barn.
Dick Baum, aka Grandpa, is seen in the mural behind the cheese counter Grandpa's Cheese Barn.
Grandpa's Cheese Barn in Ashland.
Grandpa's Cheese Barn in Ashland.

Baum sold the West Salem store, Wonderland of Food, in 1991 and joined his daughter and son-in-law at the Ashland location, a former dairy farm. The company opened a second store in Norton in 2015 and also has a store at Summit Mall in Fairlawn.

Baum told Beacon Journal partner News 5 Cleveland that he met "Grandma" in 1949, when he was a meat cutter in the back of a grocery store and he noticed the charming checkout girl out front.

“Her brother asked me one time to take her home, because he couldn’t take her home, and that was that,” he told News 5 seven years ago. At the time, his “sweetie” helped at Sweetie’s Chocolates, the candy store adjoining the barn.

Grandpa's Cheesebarn in Norton.
Grandpa's Cheesebarn in Norton.

Hundreds of people have expressed their condolences on Baum's passing, with many saying the store was a regular stop for them as they drove between Northeast Ohio and Columbus. Many also said they had the opportunity to meet Baum at the store.

"It was always cool to go to Grandpa's Cheesebarn and see Grandpa behind the counter working with family and staff," said one writer. "I love this place so much. It's more than just a shop, it's an experience."

Eric Marotta can be reached at emarotta@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarottaEric.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'Grandpa' Paul Baum, of Grandpa's Cheese Barn, dead at age 93