The Bailey Children: A Brief Look at Each Life
The Bailey children were born into a family filled with love, but also touched by deep sorrow. As the children of Mattie and W. T. “Willie” Bailey, their lives reflect both the joys of growing up and the heartbreak of lives cut too short. Their firstborn was lost at just two years old, and their youngest child died tragically at seventeen. This brief introduction to the Bailey children offers a small glimpse into each life and the place each one holds in the continuing story of the Bailey family.
Mary’s story is still being written, as her family continues to grow with each passing year.
Quite honestly, Billy Bailey may need his own family history book and/or post. He left quite a story that is easy to piece together from all the keepsakes that his mother saved in her many scrapbooks. Between his artwork, pictures and letters, it is clear that he truly lived and made the most of his short time here on earth.
A mother's love expressed in her writing
On the next few pages are the handwritten poems and writings that Mattie Wait Bailey wrote about her son, Billy, followed by transcriptions of her words.
The history of the Bailey children reflects both tragedy and continuity, including the deaths of the Wait and Billy. Despite these losses, the Bailey family line endures through Mary, whose family continues to this day.