In the early forties her family moved to Ellisville, where she graduated from Ellisville AHS and Jones Junior College. She played in the band, was a JCJC cheerleader, played on the JCJC basketball team in high school and was a member of the undefeated 1948 state championship team. She was the best girl athlete in HS and JC, all state guard and president of the BSU council.
She worked as a hostess for the Southern railroad. After moving back to Mississippi in the late seventies she worked as an accountant and retired from Jackson Public Schools. She loved sewing, quilting, and playing bridge.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Lena Bailey, and sister, Katheryn Wright and husband Dr. Charles Wright.
She is survived by her sister, Bobbie N. Butler; son, Douglas Arnold and wife Lynn of Guntown; daughter, Deborah Meadows and husband Jamie of Pearl; one special granddaughter, Dr. Makayla Merritt and husband Ryan of Purvis; and 3 precious great-grandchildren, Alaina, Luke, and Layton Merritt.
Visitation will be 9:00-11:00am, Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Funeral services will follow at 11:00am in the chapel. Graveside services will be held at 3:30pm in the Ellisville City Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the ALS Foundation for Life at www.alsfoundation.org.