Audrey Mae Hailey

God’s angels came February 14, 2015 and placed Audrey Mae Oncale Hailey into the loving hands of God, our Heavenly Father.Audrey was born on July 31, 1930 in New Orleans, Louisiana to her parents Armond Oncale, Sr. and Bernadette Benoit Oncale. She graduated from Thibodeaux High School and was in the first class to attend Nichols Junior College. Upon graduation, Audrey worked for Baton Rouge National Bank and the City of Baton Rouge Planning Department. After the birth of her children, she became a stay-at-home mother. Audrey was the beloved wife of Thomas (Tommy) Hailey for 65 wonderful years. She was a lifelong Christian woman of faith and homemaker. Audrey was born and raised Catholic. In the sixties, she joined the Methodist church. She was an active member of Parkwood United Methodist Church and Deer Park United Methodist Church. She was a Sunday school teacher, serving every age group from children to senior adults. She played an active role in children’s music ministry and was a member of the church choir. Her favorite ministry and life-long love was United Methodist Women where she served in every office over the years. She was the go-to girl for the UMW Fiesta dinner every year. She was known around the church as Miss Audrey, but by her husband as the “Cajun Queen.” Audrey served in the PTA in various roles during the years her children were in school. She was also a very active supporter of the Salvation Army.She loved spending time with family and many of her friends became a part of her extended family. She enjoyed celebrating all of the holidays with family and friends. She learned to cook as a new bride, going on to become a great cook. She was known for her chicken fricassee, cornbread, dirty rice and gumbo. She especially loved baking sweets. She learned to sew making her daughter’s dance costumes to save money and as a grandmother enjoyed making many clothes for her grandchildren. She loved to make crafts for the Methodist Market. She married her beloved husband, Thomas Hailey on September 4, 1949. They had 2 children: daughter Linda Hailey Knutson and her husband David, son Douglas Thomas Hailey and his wife Jo Lynne Lynch Hailey. She had 5 grandchildren: Vanessa Knutson Peden and her husband Thomas, Rachel Knutson Twardowski and her husband Eric, Thomas Knutson and his wife Karen Hyland Knutson, Rebecca Hailey, Stephen Hailey and his wife Kristen Stevens Hailey. She had 6 great-grandchildren: Jenna Hailey Wagner, Margo Ryan Wagner, Wade Michael Twardowski, Kate Nicole Twardowski, Alexander Russell Peden and Jillien Grace Hailey and many nieces and nephewsShe was preceded in death by her father Armond Oncale, Sr., mother Bernadette Benoit Oncale, sister Verna Oncale Virgillio, brothers Wallace Oncale, Galion Oncale, Charles Ray Oncale, Armond Oncale, Jr. .