11/4/16 Coach Bailey- Just yesterday I asked my mom what
was going on with Coach Bailey. I knew that he had cancer, but saw lots of
pictures of him on Wednesday with his family in the hospital. I wanted to know
if he was having chemo or treatment or maybe a surgery. Mom was going to find
out and get back to me. I thought I would send a card or see what hospital he was in. She called me
this morning to tell me that he died last night. My heart sunk and I felt so
awful. I had wanted to send some encouragement and prayers to them. I had no idea he was that bad. I did not even stop and pray. When I tell a
person I will pray for them, I stop what it is I am doing and pray, so as not to forget. This time
I was waiting to see what was going on with him so I could pray specifically. Now my prayers are for his family. Coach Bailey was a
character. He was a goofy, funny man that could be tough mean and strict. He
could be happy and smiley caring and kind. He was a family friend, coach, and
teacher. I have many memories of him starting with knowing his girls and wife through 4-H and also attended our church. He was my basketball coach through the years. He was a tough coach, took the sport very serious, and there was no messing around. He could turn bright red in the face, throw a basketball across the gym, or kick it. He would throw his whistle on the ground, get right in your face and yell at the top of his lungs inches from your face. He would make the team work our tails off if we were'nt working hard enough or had a bad game. He put the fear in every player. On the other side, he was silly and a prankster. His favorite thing was to sneek up behind someone and get right by their ear and make a loud deep dog bark, scare you to death. He loved to make people laugh. He was a practical joker always doing funny things to teachers and students.He was also our PE coach and his favorite activity was to play softball, as he was the softball coach too. We also did some archery and card games along with all the ball games in PE. One year, he and Coach Stumpff took on coaching volleyball. Neither had ever done it before and were filling in for the former coach who was on maternity leave. He was also there when I got in trouble with the law, got possession. It was volleyball season and he was coaching. My parents made me go and tell Coach Bailey face to face. That was the worst punishment in all the world and I was shaking when I showed up at his door. He sat me down and chewed me out, then he got soft and gave me a bug hug. He then got in my face all serious, and told me don't even think about pulling something like that in basketball season. I will never forget that day. My senior year I did not want to go out for basketball, mainly because I was afraid of Coach Bailey. I was one of the few seniors, I would be a starting guard, and I knew there would be so much pressure on me. It turned out to be a great season. Over the years when I ran into Bailey, he was always making me laugh and giving a hug. Jayden got to meet him a few times and he bragged and bragged on me. He was good at boasting a person up and making you feel like a super star. He was a person that many either liked or didnt. If you knew him well enough, you loved him. I have so many memories of Coach Bailey I will hang on to.
I went to Coach Bailey's visitation and ended up in line behind two classmates, Scott George, and Tony Blue. Both were buddies to Caoch Bailey. It was fun visiting with both of them in the very long wait and long line. There were pictures and albums and souvenirs. One of the granddaughters wrote a letter to Coach in heaven and how excited she was for him to meet Jesus, it was so neat. When it was our turn to see the family, I hugged Kathy and the girls, Jo and Kristy. They were all wearing cyclone shirts. Coach was a huge fan of the Cyclones and Kansas City. He got to know and meet many of the Cyclone players as he worked the clock and the games at ISU. Kristy shared some funny memories. They were in good spirits. All the adorable grandkids, the little mini replica's were their, all blondies. It was fun to see all the kids. I saw Coach Franey in the back of the church sitting and taking it all in. I went back and gave him a hug and talked with him awhile. He was having a really hard time. He was the Assistant coach with Bailey for many years. The two of them together were double trouble. Franey had a laugh like no other. You heard it over any other laugh and Bailey knew how to get him going. They were two of a kind and when I remember my days of basketball, the two coaches are the first thing to come to mind. They were inseparable. Where you found one, you always found the other and for years after coaching. My prayers go out to Fransy and the family, Kathy going on without her husband and the girls without their Dad. He will not be forgotten
In other sad news, on Nov 2, Shock and heartbreak hung over the Des Moines metro area Wednesday after a lone killer in the dark of night gunned down two local police officers patrolling in their vehicles.
Urbandale Police Officer Justin Martin, 24, and Des Moines Police Sgt. Anthony “Tony” Beminio, 38, were killed in separate barrages of gunfire about 2 miles apart early Wednesday morning. My prayers go out to the families.
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