Leora Bailey

Leora Bailey -- KankakeeLeora E. Bailey, 90, of Kankakee, died Sunday (Feb. 26, 2006) at Provena Heritage Village, after a short illness. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home, west Kankakee, and from 10 a.m. Wednesday at Immanuel Baptist Church, until the 11 a.m. services. Rev. Ed Heddings will officiate.Burial will be in Union Corners Cemetery, Grant Park. Memorials may be made to Bible Witness Camp, Compassionate Ministries or to Child Evangelism Fellowship.She was born Jan. 18, 1916, in Grant Park, the daughter of James Wilber "Will" and Clarice Risley Harris. Her husband, Floyd Bailey, whom she married July 7, 1944, in Baltimore, Md., died Jan. 1, 1996. At age 16, Leora graduated from Momence High School. Her teaching career began at age 18 at the rural, one-room Gamble School near Grant Park, where she attended school as a young girl. In 1943, she worked in Rhode Island building Liberty Ships bound for World War II. She was a graduate of ISU in 1934 and Olivet Nazarene University in 1965 with a bachelor of science degree in education. She also taught at the Point School, a one-room country school that has been restored near Grant Park. She taught in Momence and at Steuben School in Kankakee. Leora was an active member of Immanuel Baptist Church of Kankakee, where she has served as a deaconess, Sunday school teacher, mission board member and choir member. She was an associate member of First Baptist Church of Wildwood, Fla. She was also a member of the 1-18 Sewing Club, ISU Geography Trippers Club, Grant Park Homemakers, Retired Teachers, Christian Women's Club, and a volunteer at Compassionate Ministries Food Pantry. She was Kankakee County 4-H sewing champion in 1931. Her other hobbies included reading and traveling. Her travels took her to all states but Alaska, 10 countries in Europe, the Caribbean Islands, the Bahamas, Mexico and Canada.Surviving are two sons, Don Bailey (Karen Rowe Bailey) of Kankakee and Paul Bailey (Jean Swee) of Bloomington; one daughter, Clarice Bailey Roach (David Roach) of Kansas City, Mo.; nine grandchildren, Bryan, Marc, Scott and Megan Bailey of Kankakee, Rachel and Travis Bailey of Champaign, Melissa and Gabriel Swee of Bloomington, and Jamie Roach of Liberty, Mo.; and one brother, Albert Harris of Momence.Deceased are one son, John Bailey (1946); her parents; and cousins, Clifford and Clarence Graves.

Leora Bailey

January 18, 1916 - February 26, 2006