Barbara Ann (Dewey) Bailey, age 83, died Friday, October 24, 2008, at her home in Meadow Green, Brookings, South Dakota. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, October 30, at the First United Methodist Church in Brookings with the Reverends Teri Johnson and Duane Coates officiating, with interment in  Greenwood Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings, with P.E.O. service to follow. Memorials can be sent to the SDSU Foundation, Harold and Barbara Bailey Endowment Fund, the First United Methodist Church Foundation or the American Cancer Society.

Barbara Ann (Dewey) Bailey, daughter of Clinton and Helen (Dow) Dewey, was born March 8, 1925, in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Her early childhood years were spent in Southbridge and on her grandmothers farm in Brimfield, Massachusetts.  In 1941 her family moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, where she graduated from Springfield Classical High School in 1942.  Following graduation, she took training in Secretarial Science at Bay Path Institute of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and then worked for the Smith and Wesson Revolver Company as secretary to the Personnel Manager.  During World War II she transferred to their factory where she had a position as Weapons Inspector for the revolvers that were used by Military Police.

She was engaged to Harold S. Bailey, Jr. and they were married after the war on September 8, 1946.   From 1946 to 1951 she provided support, living in the Boston area and then in West Lafayette, Indiana, while her husband obtained his doctoral degree.  The family moved to Brookings, South Dakota in 1951, when Harold accepted a position with South Dakota State College.

Barbara was an active member of the Brookings United Methodist Church for over 55 years, serving in the United Methodist Women as President.  She was a long time member of the Care Group, where she provided many hours of support to those of the church community that were sick or disabled.  She taught in the Church School and was Chairman of the Education Committee when the education addition to the church was built.  At South Dakota State University she was President of the Faculty Women's Club.  During the years when her husband was a University Vice President, she assisted the Presidents' wives in hosting numerous university functions.  As a full-time homemaker she greatly enjoyed her children and family events.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband Harold of Brookings; five children, Cynthia Ann (Robert) Kodis, Des Moines, Iowa, Lynda Jeanne Bailey, Carlsbad California, Gwen Ellen (Rod) Mader, Crooks, South Dakota, Pamela Louise (David) Berg, Baldwin, Wisconsin, and Harold Stevens (Sandra) Bailey III, Brookings; 12 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.  Her parents and one sister, Louise (Dewey) Harvey, preceded her in death.