Gladys “Glady” Blue Bayles, 92, passed away on Saturday, September 10, 2016, in Leawood, Kansas, among the loving presence of family. Born on August 15, 1924 in Twin Falls, Idaho, Glady was the daughter of Glenn Adeen Blue and Lela Roberts Blue. She lived in Twin Falls for the first three years of her life, followed by a brief period of time in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her family then settled in Emporia, Kansas, where she spent the remainder of her childhood.
Upon graduation from Emporia High School, Glady attended Christian College for Women in Columbia, Missouri. She was one of just five women selected for the school’s horse show team, and she participated in many horse shows across the region. Art was another of Glady’s passions, and she took many art classes as a child and throughout college. In one such class at Christian College, her mural design project was chosen for display at the local Post Office. It took weeks to produce this artwork on the Post Office walls, and she took great pride in this accomplishment throughout her lifetime.
She graduated from Christian College in June of 1944 and then continued her education at the University of Kansas where she was a member of the Kappa Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity. She graduated in February of 1947 with a degree in Commercial Arts.
Glady married Robert Russell Bayles on March 22, 1947 at the Second Presbyterian Church in Emporia, Kansas. They lived in Emporia for four months, then relocated to Bartlesville, Oklahoma for four years. In 1950, they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and Glady spent the remainder of her life in the metropolitan area. The couple had four children.
Throughout her life, Glady’s faith, family, and friends brought her much joy. She also had a passion for animals, especially for her horses and dogs. She established Baybriar Kennels, registered by the American Kennel Club, and showed prize-winning dogs for many years. Glady was a talented artist, both with a paintbrush on canvas, and also with many projects around her home and for her family. She volunteered in her children’s schools, and she was a dedicated member of her church communities; she especially enjoyed serving as Altar Guild Directress at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and in a variety of roles on the Altar Guild at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. Glady greatly valued her affiliations with the Greater Kansas City Kappa Alpha Theta Alumnae Chapter, P.E.O., The Janet Boone Service Club, and Friends of the KC Mounted Patrol.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband. Survivors include her son, R. Scott Bayles of Overland Park; daughter, Martha Bayles Bacon of Lenexa; son, Robert A. Bayles (Amy) of Prairie Village, and Christian A. Bayles (Dorothy) of Oklahoma City; twelve grandchildren: Meredith Bayles Bell (Michael), Melanie Bacon Farmer (Matthew), Lauren Bacon Brengarth (Rhett), Allison Bacon Sears (Shawn), Mallory Bayles Mallin (Victor), Kelly Bayles, Colson Bayles, Elizabeth Bayles Helsel (Jon), Ruth Anna Bayles Herber (David), Sarah Bayles, Mary Esther Bayles Nevener (Leif), and Caleb Bayles; and eleven great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church (6630 Nall Avenue, Mission, KS, 66202) at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 17. The family suggests memorial donations may be made to The Humane Society of the United States and St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. Condolences may be left online at www.mcgilleystatelinechapel.com. (Arrangements, McGilley State Line Chapel, 12301 State Line Road, Kansas City, MO, 64145, 816.942.6180)
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18