Barbara Roberts Bailey

Barbara Jean Roberts Bailey was a skilled, independent woman who tied herself to the ones she loved. She was uniquely her own person yet totally devoted to others. She dressed smartly and always looked her best, yet she readily ventured into her garden or on a hunting trip. She thoroughly enjoyed traveling, but liked nothing more than spending time with her loving family. Barbara Jean was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to LeRoy and Julia (Dart) Gilbert on May 22, 1928. The decade known as the Roaring Twenties, introduced Americans to jazz, Vaudeville and the Grand Ole Opry as well as liquor prohibition, speakeasies and Flapper fashions. However, growing up in a small community north of the city, in Ensley Center, Barbara and her two younger sisters, Sally and Joyce, were far from the urban roar. They lived on a farm that their father worked in addition to his job with area manufacturing companies. Barbara helped with farm chores, learning to plow the fields with a team of horses. Since the family did not always have a car, she walked a lot, and a one-room school house was a regular trek. There, she completed her formal schooling through the 11th grade at Muskegon High School. Also attending the same school and Baptist church with Barbara was a boy named John Roberts. As teenagers, Barbaras sister Sally was interested in John, but he had eyes for Barb and pursued her until he won her over. The young couple married on July 21, 1945, while John was home on leave from the Navy. At the end of WWII, John returned to Michigan, and the newlyweds settled in Grand Rapids, where he found work building homes and she set up house keeping in preparation for a family. With the births of their daughter Gloria in 1949 and son John in 1952, their lives were full and complete. In time, the family moved to Muskegon, Michigan and briefly lived on the east side of town. Then John built a home for them on Dykstra Road in North Muskegon. It was a labor of love and dedication for both of them, because he did all the work after his regular hours and Barbara made meals that they ate on site as the house was going up. Over the years, Barb helped landscape the property and kept beautiful flower gardens that truly made their house a home. In her home, Barb began selling Avon products when the children were both in school. She was very good at sales and, in the course of her 16-year career, Barb rose to District Manager. She won several awards, some of them given as trips abroad. When the kids were grown, she started traveling even more with her husband or friends, and throughout her lifetime, Barb took trips to Greece, Spain, England, Australia and the Caribbean. As an Avon representative, Barb was herself an advertisement for beauty products. She always dressed nicely, and her hair and makeup were perfectly in place. Being a typical Girly Girl, it was perhaps surprising that Barb also liked to go hunting with her husband. Yet she was enough of a farm girl to enjoy the outdoors and prepare great meals from her small game hunts. Barb was an excellent cook and loved to prepare meals for family gatherings, especially during the holidays. This continued when Barb became a grandma and she hosted many dinners and fun sleepovers for her grandkids. When her children were still young, Barb and John made memorable trips to the Upper Peninsula and Mackinac Island, in addition to traveling out west to national parks. Yellowstone National Park became one of Barbs favorite places to stay, and she made many return visits to take in its vast beauty. When he was still a young man, Barbs husband John became ill and died in 1978 at the age of 53. Barb was later introduced to Bob Bailey by her sister Sally and niece Judy. Barb had the good fortune to fall in love once again, and she and Bob were married on May 16, 1980. They made a life together in her home on Dykstra, where she continued to sell Avon until her retirement in 1985. Because Bobs work as an electrician took him to various places around the country for months at a time, Barb was free to go with him once she retired. Interestingly, their travel accelerated with Bobs health issues. They wanted to hike and visit as many places as they could while his health held out. With Bobs death in 1998, Barb stayed living on her own for a while and continued to travel and spend winters in Arizona. She eventually sold the house and moved to Louisiana for a short time before returning to an apartment in North Muskegon. At one point, Barb suffered a stroke but recovered very well and was determined to remain independent. In September 2009, she had another stroke and started to take a turn for the worse. Her family came to be with her, and they were by her side when she died at the Poppen Hospice House on Wednesday, November 11, 2009. She will be deeply missed by those who loved her dearly. Mrs. Barbara J. Roberts Bailey, age 81 of Muskegon, is survived by her son, John (Kathy) Roberts of NC; daughter, Gloria (Larry) Bergren of Whitehall; 6 grandchildren, Angie (Chad) Cook, Amy (Ken) Heaton, Laura (Dan) Bowyer, Jodie Roberts, Kara Roberts and fianc Craig Johnston, Andy Roberts; 7 great grandchildren, Nathan, Bryce, Jade, Emily, Sophia, Anna, Ian; sisters, Sally McNair of Allendale, Joyce Bunnell of Holton; several nieces, nephews and cousins; special friend, Ray Kaber. She was preceded in death by both of her husbands and grandson Eric Roberts. A service to celebrate Barbaras life will be held Saturday, November 14, 2009, 11:00 AM at the Clock Chapel~Muskegon with Pastor Donald Benedict officiating. Interment at Sunrise Memorial Gardens. The family will receive visitors Friday, 2-4 and 7-9 PM, at Clock Life Story Funeral Home~Muskegon. Memorial contributions may be made to Harbor Hospice or the Charity of your choice. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.