Betty J. Bailey, 97, of Springfield, IL, passed away on October 9, 2026, at the Villas of Hollybrook. Betty was born on September 2, 1929, in Springfield to Carl Abner and Flossie Hurt Abner. She married Daniel Conrad Bailey Sr. on May 14, 1950. He preceded her in death on July 12, 2022.
Betty learned the art of canning from her mother and continued the family tradition of canning well into her sixties. After graduating from high school, she worked for Franklin Life Insurance Company. She was a member of the DAV Women’s Auxiliary Chapter 15. Betty cherished spending time with family and friends. Her interest included bowling, fishing, and going to garage sales. She could play the trumpet, piano, organ, and she could repeat the Declaration of Independence from beginning to end and spell the word epidemiology.
Mrs. Bailey is survived by her daughter, Karen K. (Larry) Hayes of Springfield; two sons, Daniel C. (Barbara) Bailey Jr. of Chatham, Illinois, and Carl M. (Cheyenne) Bailey of Lincoln, Illinois; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her three sisters, Daisy, Helen and Mildred; and three brothers, Virgil, William and Harold.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Bisch and Son Funeral Home, 505 East Allen Street, Springfield. Burial will follow at Camp Butler National Cemetery.
