Verna Bailey

Verna Mae Bailey, the only child of George Louis and Daisy Mae (Hogenkamp) Reasland, was born February 15, 1930 at Cromwell, Iowa. Verna entered rest on December 29, 2014 at Greater Regional Medical Center, Creston, Iowa at the age of eighty-four years, ten months, and fourteen days.
Verna attended school in Cromwell and graduated from Cromwell High School in 1947. Following graduation, she began working at the Telephone Office in Creston and worked there for a short time before she was married. Verna married Paul V. Bailey at the church in Cromwell on April 3, 1949. This marriage was blessed with six children: Marcena, Carol, Chris, Gary, Greg, and Larry. Verna became a homemaker, staying home to raise her family. Later, when her children were older, Verna returned to work at the Creston Shopper and the Family Shoe Store for a few years. Verna also was a sales lady for Stanley Home Products, working from home for a number of years. She was a life-long resident of the Creston and Cromwell areas.
Verna was a member of the Cromwell Congregational Church of Christ and was active in the Church Women’s Fellowship, helping prepare and serve many church dinners. Verna was a member of the Happy Hour Club and was also an Election Day poll worker for Union County. Verna and Paul served as leaders of the Douglas Boosters 4-H Club and were recently inducted into the 2014 4-H Hall of Fame. Along with being active in the 4-H community, they were also the first couple to be honorary members of the FFA. Verna enjoyed camping and she and Paul camped at the Iowa State Fair nearly fifty years.
Left to cherish Verna’s memory are her children: Carol (Ken) Sharp, Creston; Chris Bailey, Des Moines; Gary (Val) Bailey, Creston; Greg (Mindy) Bailey, Creston; and Larry (Kelsey) Bailey, Creston; Eleven Grandchildren: Amy (husband Chris) Kralik; Kevin (wife Amy) Sharp; Kurtis (wife Naomi) Sharp; Cory and Cody Bailey; Cooper, Dillon and Marcey Bailey; and Keegan, Kolbey, and Kadley Bailey; Six Great-Grandchildren: Cael and Jacy Kralik; Sterling and Adrianna Sharp; and Ryder and Easton Sharp; and several cousins and many friends.
Preceding Verna in death were her parents; her husband, Paul, on April 15, 2011; her daughter, Marcena Bailey; and her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Gale and Neva Bailey.