Bailey King

Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Bailey King

Bailey Delbert King, 76, of Mountain Home, died at his home on Dec. 10, 2008.

Memorial services were held Saturday, Dec. 13, at Rost Funeral Home in Mountain Home,.

Bailey Delbert King was born July 17, 1932, in Coffeyville, Kan., to Bailey Louis King and Violet May Cobb.

Bailey joined the Army Air Corps at the age of 14. He said it was the first time he ever got three square meals a day and shoes to wear, his family said.

Bailey served in the Korean Conflict and later in Vietnam. He then served in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years before retiring as a decorated master sergeant.

Bailey married Alice Pearl Allen of San Jose, Calif., and they had five children, Margaret (Squeek), Bailey Louise III (Bud), John Joseph (Joe), Howard Russell (Bo) and James Harold (Jim).

In 1971, Bailey married Sharlene Hamilton. She brought into the family three more children, Terry Kay (Mouse), Tony James (TJ) and Candace Delane (Funny Face).

Bailey gave Terry the nickname mouse because she was quiet as a mouse. Candy's nickname, Funny Face, came about because she was cross eyed and that was when Donna Fargo came out with the song Funny Face "and the rest was history." Bailey and Sharlene remained married until she died in February 2000.

Bailey then married Carolyn Snowey, whom he felt was the love of his life, his family noted, adding that she also had been recently widowed and Bailey said "come over for a cup of coffee" and later said "come to church with me," then soon said, "I Do," which became 8 ½ years of wedded bliss and 11 combined children and countless grandchildren.

"Bailey and Carolyn where like young lovers when they married," his family said. "Bailey was so in love with Carolyn he couldn't keep his hands and lips off her. He adored her to the end."

They enjoyed traveling in their motor home, going fishing, going to Jackpot, and South to Needles, Calif., for the winter, and going to Oklahoma to see his sisters and to Richfield to visit Carolyn's family.

Bailey also enjoyed hunting and fishing. He liked water skiing which is how he lost his right thumb. He was trying out a new boat to buy "which needless to say, he didn't buy."

Bailey also had a virtual circus of animals, including a broken-legged cow, Porky the pig, Donald the duck, Ugh the dog, and a Chihuahua, Tipper. Bailey always had horses for hunting and his favorite was Rocky, the hard-headed Appaloosa gelding. "Hunting season with Bailey could almost always be counted on to be a wild west rodeo," his family said.

Bailey loved to play chicken scratch with dominoes and loved to tell a good story or joke and tease the women. "He will be thoroughly missed by his friends and family alike," his family said.

Bailey is survived by: his wife, Carolyn; ten children; his sister, Sena Myrtle Jones, and a brother, Harold Francis Mumford.

Bailey was proceded in death by his sister, Farina Montgomery, one daughter, and his late wife, Sharleen.