She was born on June 8, 1929 in Cheneyville, Louisiana. After completing college at Northwestern in Natchitoches, she started teaching in Sulphur at Frasch Elementary where she taught for 34 years. She had been a member of First Baptist Church since 1949, and was also a member of the Agin' Cajun Choir and Esther Sunday School Class.
As a teenager, she was pianist at Beulah Baptist Church in Cheneyville for several years. She loved reading, playing the piano, doing calligraphy, and especially enjoyed spending time with her family, friends, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Ora Lee and T.C. Elfert; her husband, Sam Bailey; a sister, Lois Thompson; a brother, Thomas Clarence Elfert, Jr.; a grandson, Sean Bailey; a granddaughter, Laura Elizabeth Young; and nephews, Christopher and Clay Coalson.
She is survived by her sister, Marilyn Qualls; brother, Dr. Donald Elfert; her daughter, Laura Lee Young and husband, Joe; her son, Sam Bailey and Cari O'Brien; grandsons, Ryan Bailey, Axel Bailey, and Ben Young; granddaughter, Kathryn Young Amarit and husband, Ryan; great-grandchildren, Kilyn Bailey, Kit Amarit, and Maria, Moises, and Marco Gonzeles; and many nieces and nephews.
Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, in First Baptist Church of Sulphur. The Rev. Tom Bruce will officiate. Burial will be in Mimosa Pines South Cemetery in Carlyss under the direction of Hixson-Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home. Visitation will be held in the funeral home on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon and then in the church from 1 p.m. until the time of service.
Special heartfelt thanks to Dr. Lannan and Dr. Bergeron, Fran Freedland, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Home Health, especially Cynthia and Rob, and Heart of Hospice, especially Shannon, Jasmine, Amanda, Aleah, and Sterling. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.hixsonfuneralhomes.com.
