Obituary of John Wallace Bailey

John Wallace “Doe” Bailey, age 87, passed away May 18, 2008 at Texarkana, TX, following complications from colon cancer surgery on Saturday. He was born on a farm north of Wright City on January 8, 1921 and was the youngest son of 7 children born to Fred and Alice Southworth Bailey. A WWII U.S. Army Veteran, John was stationed in Oregon where he met and married Olga Davidoff, March 10, 1944 at the Army Chapel in Portland. He and Olga made their home only 2 miles from his place of birth north of Wright City. John worked as a forest land man for Weyerhaeuser and Dierks Lumber Co. going to work for them on July 26, 1951. He became very familiar with the 40 lines and the section lines as he worked in the forest for over 30 years. He was a true mountain man, and knew the trails, valleys, rivers, and streams as well as anyone. One of the best fiddle players in the hills of Southeast Oklahoma, John played a rare old violin that his grandfather Wallace Southworth had willed to him. The violin was later destroyed in a house fire. John enjoyed playing hoe-down fiddle, loved his animals and enjoyed looking after his 11 cats. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Olga Bailey on October 19, 2002. John is survived by nephews, Alton G. (Al) Ward and wife, Sue of Wright City, Bob Bailey and wife, Betty of Wright City, Afton D. Bailey of Paris, TX, Paul Bailey of Athens, Greece, Fred Bailey and wife Inez of Antlers; nieces, Karen White of Duncan, OK, Susan Barton of Santa Fe, NM, Phil Barton of Mesa, AZ; sister-in-law, Emily Bailey of Athens, Greece and brother-in-law, John Barton of Cloverdale, CA; numerous other relatives and a host of friends.