Pamela Joan Bin-Rella, mother of U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, dies at 75

Pamela Joan Bin-Rella, the mother of Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, died Tuesday.

She was 75 and a resident of Minneapolis.

Baldwin said in a statement: “My mother faced many struggles and she was always an inspiration to me and my life's work to make a difference in people's lives. I will carry her kind soul forever in my heart.”

Bin-Rella's 1961 marriage to Joseph Edward Baldwin, Jr., ended in divorce. Their daughter, Tammy Suzanne Baldwin, was raised by Bin-Rella's parents, David and Doris Green.

The death notice focused on Bin-Rella's lengthy career in social work.

"Pam’s professional calling was no coincidence as she struggled throughout her own life with mental illness, addiction, physical illnesses and hospitalizations," the notice said. "She confronted these challenges with courage and humor. Even in her last months, everyone who entered her room at Presbyterian Homes of Bloomington, Minn., was greeted with a smile and she was grateful to those who cared about and for her."

Bin-Rella received a bachelor's of science degree in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1968 and became a social worker at the Dane County Department of Social Services.

She earned a master's degree in human development from St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn., and completed a two-year chemical dependency training program at Madison General Hospital in Wisconsin.

Among the jobs she held: counselor coordinator in Shawano; a mental health crisis intervention coordinator at the Menominee County Human Services Department in Keshena; and a chemical dependency counselor at Langlade Health Care Center in Antigo.

She moved to Minneapolis in 1987 and worked at Hazelden and Ceridian in the field of mental health and employee assistance counseling. She also worked at Safe House, a transitional living program for adults with mental illness and substance use disorders. She became licensed as an Independent clinical social worker in 1991.

Bin-Rella's second marriage to Yusuf Bin-Rella also ended in divorce but she maintained a "life-long-connection" to her former husband's family.

Besides Baldwin, Bin-Rella is survived by her sister Rowena Matthews and two nephews, Brian and Keith Matthews.

A memorial service in Minneapolis is being planned.