Betty L. Bailey

CLINTON - Betty L. Bailey, 90, of Clinton went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, December 13, 2021.

Betty was born on May 25, 1931, in Livingston, Montana, to Joel and Florence Case.  Betty spent her childhood growing up on various ranches, in Park County. Then, when her dad received a foreman position on 89 North, the family moved to Wilsall, Montana.

On July 3, 1949, in Livingston, she married Francis (Bud) Schlect and had two children, Linda and Les.  They later divorced in 1953.

During this chapter of her life, she was searching for meaning.  Betty worked at the Colorado Valley Clinic, in Needles, California, and later moved back to Missoula and accepted Christ as her personal Savior.  While back in Missoula, Betty was a waitress at the Minute Kitchen.  It was there that she met Dan Bailey (their first date was a church service) and they were married on July 7, 1957.  Together they adopted two children, Jim and Janice.

Betty and Dan moved to Clinton and purchased Creighton’s Grocery, which became Bailey’s Market, in 1967 until 1980.  While working in Bailey’s Market you could see the couple inside the store and their son at the gas pumps. Dan passed away in 2005, and Betty continued to live in their family home until her death.

Betty was an active member of Emmanuel Baptist Church for 40 years and was currently a member of Clinton Community Church.  Betty was a woman of God and a mighty prayer warrior.  She enjoyed singing in the church choir and teaching Bible lessons to children.  When she couldn’t teach the lessons, she helped in the background by loaning out her materials and addressing cards to Bible Club students. She also loved to read, hunt, fish, and camp.

She is preceded in death by Dan, her parents, and her sister, Barbara Stuen.

Survivors include her children, Janice (Rick) Goldsby, Jim (Kyle) Bailey, both of Clinton, Les (Virginia) Schlect, of Loveland, Colorado, Linda (Alex) Schaff, of Tooele, UT, and Kay Murphy, of Vancouver Washington; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Services to celebrate her new life in heaven will be held at 1:00p.m., Saturday, May 21st at the  Clinton Community Church. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com

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