Lowell Bailey
Hardin |
Lowell D. Bailey, 85 passed away at 10:00 pm on Saturday, September 19, 2020 at Missouri Baptist Hospital. He was born November 11, 1934 at his log cabin in Kampsville, Illinois. He was the son of Jesse J. and Lena (Schumann) Bailey. He married Mary Ann Roth on November 20, 1954 at St. Michael Church in Michael, IL.
Lowell was a member of St. Michael Catholic Church in Michael. He worked on the river for 50 years. He started as a deckhand at the age of 17 and advanced to Captain before he retired. For many years, he worked in the Chicago Lemont area for Garvey Marine. In 1975, he purchased and brought two lockmasters houses on barges from Beardstown, Illinois and down the Illinois River and set them up on the north and south side of State Highway 100 just south of Michael, Illinois. After retirement, he worked as a captain on the St. Charles Princess excursion boat. As captain, some of the highlights and stories he loved to tell his family were when Ozzie Smith surprised him as his guest. When Lowell turned around and realized it was Ozzie Smith, he exclaimed “IT’S THE WHIZ!” His final job was piloting a towboat in Herrmann, Missouri that hauled all materials and supplies to the construction crew for the construction of the Herrmann Bridge.
Lowell loved his family, his dogs Molly and Polly, fishing, hunting, storytelling (and teasing), and growing produce and peddling in St. Charles, Missouri. He loved working the dime toss at St. Michael picnic, coaching baseball, and being on the river. He also had a great love for music, especially the dulcimer. He coached many young men in the early 1960’s playing legion baseball. He was quite the advocate for youth and did what he could to keep their lives productive and to toe the line. He never knew a stranger and he had a nickname for most. He also had many of his own nicknames some including: Beetle, Foghorn Leghorn, Pops, and Gramps. His days were spent outdoors while going at breakneck speed. He was also a 4th degree Knight for the Knights of Columbus of Hardin, Illinois.
In addition to his wife, Mary Ann, he is survived by one son, James Bailey (special friend Sharon Gwillim), and two daughters, Robin (Bernard) Hillen, Rosemarie (Rick) Randazzo, one sister: Zona Peek; eleven grandchildren, Travis, Jamie, Bud, Justin, Mark, Luke, Tony, Tiffany, Aimee, Nicole, and Rachel; twenty eight great grandchildren: Eden, Mia, Ava, Bennett, Jacob, Jordan, Josie, Emery, Grayson, Hayes, Abner, Franci, Helen, Elsie, Rory, Marlowe, Reese, Lennox, Roman, Leland, Karson, Kale, Izzy, Joey, Lilly, Lyla, and Luke; numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his mother and father-in-law, Charles and Anna Roth; brothers Bud and Sonny, sister Yvonne Chistensen; brother in laws, Carl and Harold Roth, sister in laws, Eleanor Zipprich and Helen Vetter, and infant daughter, Mary, and a great grandson, Stanley.
Visitation will be Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at St. Anselm’s Church, in Kampsville, Illinois from 4pm to 7 pm. Funeral mass will be at St. Anselm’s church at 10 am on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. Burial will follow at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Michael, IL.
Memorials are St. Norbert’s School, Calhoun Ambulance Service, Warrior Pride, and family choice.
Mask will be required for visitation and service. There is only 50 allowed in the hall at one time and 80 in the church. You will be allowed in the hall as quota allows. For funeral mass, immediate family, extended family, and close friends until we meet quota.
Gress, Kallal, and Schaaf Funeral Home in Hardin is handling arrangements.
Gress, Kallal and Schaaf Funeral Home
