Funeral service for Barbara Anne Bailey will be 9:30 a.m. Friday, February 7, 2020 at First Free Will Baptist Church with Pastor David Voegtlin officiating.

Burial will follow at Fort Sill National Cemetery, Elgin, Oklahoma under the direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

The family will greet friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Barbara Anne Bailey, 82, Lawton, passed away Friday, January 31, 2020 in Oklahoma City, OK. Barbara Anne Bailey was born on May 15, 1937 in Lawrence, Kansas. She was the seventh and final child of William and Dorothy (Brokmann) Marshall. "Mammo", as many people know her, was lovingly given that title approximately 50 years later. On July 24, 1953, at the ripe old age of 16, she married the love of her life, Byron L. Bailey. Of course, 16 was way too young to get married and all the naysayers expertly predicted that the marriage of young Mr. and Mrs. Bailey wouldn't last. And they were right. The marriage ended 60 years later when Mr. Bailey passed away.  During those 60 years, the two were inseparable, (except when Mr. Bailey had to go fight the occasional war or "police action" overseas), and had the type of loving, caring, respectful marriage that everyone yearns for, but that few ever knew. In those 60 years, there was never a second when they were not madly in love with each other.

It is quite common to read in an obituary such comments as "Everyone loved her" or "She was the sweetest person that ever lived" or "They don't make 'em like that anymore". Typically, these statements are kind hyperbole. In this case, these statements are all true. Barbara had the most incredible spirit about her. She's one of those rare people who made you feel good just being around her. If you had a problem she was always there to lend an ear, to help, and to make you feel better. She was kind to everyone, sometimes to a fault. She saw "good" in everybody, even those who others could not. She was generous to a fault as well, with her time, her money, and with her love. When thinking of Barbara, the first thing people think of is love. She had so many good qualities, it's hard to mention them all, but most of all, she was about love. Yes, everyone really did love her. As she was fond of saying, "What's not to love?" In her case, the answer was "nothing" and yes, she really did love everyone, especially her husband and her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and really, anybody's children that needed a mom, a grandma, or a Mammo. She was there for all of them. And the most amazing part of all of this was she had plenty of love for everybody. Mammo didn't ration out her affection; she had love for one and all, and when you were with her, somehow, you felt like you were the most important person in the world. If you had a lick of sense, you felt lucky and blessed that God had put this wonderful woman in your life.

She loved her family, her friends, her church and her God. She was loyal and faithful to them all. She was one of those rare people who gave so much more than she got. And it wasn't even close. She will be missed dreadfully. The world was a much better place with her in it, and we are diminished by her loss. You can take solace in knowing that, right now, she is with so many of the people that she loved and who loved her. We are happy to know that Mom and Dad are together again at last, for all eternity. Neither Mom nor Dad feared death because their faith was strong. They know that this parting is temporary and until we get there to join them, we may all take comfort in knowing that they are together again, where they always wanted to be, and where they have earned the right to be, by two lives extraordinarily well lived.

The Bailey's had two natural children, Lawrence Bailey and fiancé Mendy and Karen Cross and husband Mark, a second son, Dr. Larry K. Chase and wife Nina, six grand children, Byron Bailey and wife Michelle, Aaron Trevino and wife Kaylinn, Melissa Hayslip and husband Heath, Whitney Voegtlin and husband Eric, Katelyn Trevino and fiancé Bradley, and Anthony Hood and wife Ka-Trina, Ashley Comte and husband Mike, and Tonya Cross, 14 great grand children, Paisley Dawn Hill, Aubrey Lynn Trevino, Kamden Heath Trevino, Ayden Mark Schulz, Maddison Anne Dunn, Phoenix Gray Hill, Myla June Watson, Hannah Marie Hayslip, Rayven Nichole Cross, Raylee Mikel Cross, Ashton Drake Kidd, Makenzie Alannah Kidd, Bryson Troy Kidd, Mason Everett King, Carson Michael Hood, Sebastian Dale Hood and other nieces, nephews, and cousins

Barbara Bailey is preceded in death by her mother and father, three brothers, three sisters, her husband Byron, daughter-in-law, Paula S. Bailey, and two adopted grandsons, James Hill and Ryan Stovall.