BAILEY, Mary H. Bailey

        Funeral service for Mary Hewett Bailey, age 96, of Chickasha will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 8, 2006, at the Epworth United Methodist Church. Rev. Kim Domnick will officiate and Rev. Don Horton will assist. Mary Hewett Bailey was born one of five children to Judge Frank M. Bailey and Hope Hewett Bailey on May 23, 1909, in Chickasha. She died on April 2, 2006, in Chickasha.
        Mary was a lifetime resident of Chickasha graduating from Chickasha High School in 1926. She began teaching history in Chickasha in September of 1933, after teaching in Anadarko for two years. She maintained a great fondness for her many students from 42 years of teaching. She continued to enjoy visiting with her former students and hearing about their lives and families. CHS class reunions were always a highlight for her. In 1970, she was named Teacher of the Year by the State Fair of Oklahoma.
        Ms. Bailey earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and government at the University of Oklahoma, and received a degree in english and mathematics at Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha, now U.S.A.O.. Mary earned a Masters Degree in history at the University of Oklahoma, publishing a thesis on the history of Grady County. She was a member of the Epworth United Methodist Church where she served on many committees and was active in the United Methodist Women. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Alpha Phi, American Association of University Women (AAUW), Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Oklahoma Education Association (OEA), Grady County Historical Society, and the Oklahoma Historical Society. Mary held many offices in these organizations. ranging from president to treasurer.
        She was instrumental in organizing the Girl Scouts of America in Chickasha and served on many civic organizations. Mary loved to travel across the world. She enjoyed reading, knitting, and needlepoint. Her true passion was researching and teaching history. She brought great insight and enthusiasm to her discussions about Oklahoma history, especially about Chickasha and Grady County history. Her many nieces and nephews were greatly enriched by her knowledge and stories about family history.
        Mary was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, William Bailey, and three sisters, Elizabeth Caudle, Frances Blazer, and Blanche McCormick. Aunt Mary will long be remembered by: Twelve Nieces & Nephews, Twenty-Eight Great-Nieces & Nephews, Thirty-Two Great-Great-Nieces & Nephews, and many former students and friends. Interment will be in Rose Hill Cemetery. Service will be under the direction of McRay Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Epworth United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 518, Chickasha, OK 73023 and the Grady County Historical Society, P.O. Box 495, Chickasha, OK 73023.