Marie Ann Bailey

On Thursday, the 21st of November in 1929, Marie Ann Bailey was born to Ms. Lillie Bell McCray and Mr. James Willie Peguese in an agricultural community in west-central Georgia called Moultrie. She was reared by her mother's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bob McCray, because her mother died only three days after her birth. Miss Marie was a playful child, a fiercely competitive trickster, and had a smile that could win anyone's heart. She loved to sing and dance. She had an outlook that was positive, practical, and optimistic which would prove to serve her later in life.

An independent self-starter from her youth, Miss Marie attended and graduated from the Washington Beauty School of Albany, Georgia in 1956. She passed the state bar of cosmetology that same year, and by January 1958 had become a master cosmetologist in the state of Georgia.

On March 18, 1955, Miss Marie married Simon Bailey and moved from Georgia to Lima, Ohio. Simon had three children whom Miss Marie embraced and took into her heart: Theresa, Barbara, and Bradford Bailey.

Then, between 1957 and 1967 Miss Marie and "Bailey" (as she lovingly called her husband) welcomed into their family six additional children—Michael, Cynthia; Brenda and Linda, the twins; Janice, and Stevie. Marie loved her children fiercely and somehow managed to give each one individual special memories, despite having to share her with their siblings.

Miss Marie experienced many difficulties, including her husband's lengthy illness and his subsequent death. Yet she shielded her children from it as much as possible and they flourished in spite of it all.

With the prayers, support, and encouragement of her father, siblings, aunts, cousins, and friends, Miss Marie ran several businesses from her home. A licensed cosmetologist, accomplished baker (famous for her coffee cake, pound cake and fruitcake), gardener, and seamstress, Miss Marie did it all. Her innate business skills and keen eye for quality ensured that her children lacked for nothing.

Miss Marie maintained her family's well being and security with outward expressions of joy and confidence. When asked how she was doing, she was known to laugh and answer "I'm as high as a Georgia pine!" Which meant that regardless of any circumstances, she was thriving, deeply rooted, and richly producing. She never allowed any situation or occurrence to keep her down. She was about the business of living, growing, and loving – educating, learning, and giving thanks. After raising her own children she was instrumental in helping raise her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren as well. She even took in her great-grandson Isaiah at age 78 and raised him as her own until she was no longer able. She would do anything for her family and always saw it as a privilege. She just LOVED with her whole heart.

In 2008 she was diagnosed with dementia, yet because of her strength and resilience was able to maintain her independence until 2011 when she moved in with her son and daughter-in-law, Stevie and Deirdre in Dayton, Ohio. Despite her diagnosis, Marie had a fulfilling life there with many friends. Although she had been a member of St. Paul A.M.E. in Lima, Ohio since the 1950's, she became an honorary member of the Dayton New Life SDA church family; in particular the Women's Ministry group. The women there doted on her and helped her to thrive. Her quality of life remained intact until the final stages of the disease.

On April 11th Marie went to Hospice of Dayton and was given 24-48 hours to live. Yet Marie lived 11 days! The same strength and resilience that she had throughout her life remained within her until her last breath. Through hardships and illness...she LIVED. She got every drip drop of life out of her body. On April 21st, with words of love being whispered in her ear, she fell asleep in Jesus.

Miss Marie's family remains richly blessed and fruitful and her legacy of strength, resilience and determination will live on for generations. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, daughter Linda Kay Bailey, sons Bradford Simon Bailey and Michael Demetrius Bailey, grandson Stevie Willis Bailey II, sister Dorothy Peguese Young, and granddaughter Martia Bailey.

Her memory will be cherished by a great host of family and friends: Brother James Willie "Bruh" Peguese II of Ecorse, Michigan. Beloved children: Agnes Theresa Bailey Wright of Douglasville, GA, Barbara Singleton of Chicago, IL, Cynthia Ann Bailey Henderson (Randall) of Dublin, OH, Brenda G. Whitfield (William) of Laverne, TN, Janice Marie Christian (Kevin) of Cleveland, OH, and Stevie Willis Bailey, Sr. (Deirdre) of Dayton, OH; as well as a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren