Marie Bayles of Blackwell, Oklahoma, passed away on Sunday, January 29, 2017, at her home at the age of 87 years.
Alberta Marie Bayles was born on July 6, 1929, in Bonne Terre, Missouri, to Grover Felix and Kathryn Jeremiah (Thornton) Bisch. She grew up attending St. Joseph’s Catholic Church School in Bonne Terre, Missouri, and graduated from Bonne Terre High School in 1948. She married the love of her life,Robert James Bayles on December 27, 1952, in Bonne Terre and they settled there. In 1957, the family moved with their daughter, Alice, to Blackwell to make their home and Marie served her family as a homemaker. In 1973 Marie returned to school and graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva with an elementary education degree. She taught her entire career at Peckham School, teaching Kindergarten for a year before moving to first and second grades. While her grandchildren were in school, Marie enjoyed attending their various school and livestock events. Her husband preceded her in death on November 5, 2004, and she continued to make Blackwell her home. She enjoyed writing poetry, spending time with family and solving word search puzzles with her great great great niece, Paislee. She was excited when she and her great granddaughter, Kennedy, were able to visit the St. Louis Arch together this past summer. She spent many hours hanging out with her dogs, Bitsy, Jose and Rhett. Marie was known by several special names including, Mother, Grams, Grandma, Aunt Re and Meme. She touched many lives and was greatly loved. She was a devout member of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Blackwell.
She is survived by her daughter, Alice Kelly and husband Jack of Red Rock, Oklahoma; three grandchildren, Rachel Kelly of Blackwell, Annmarie Stanford and husband Aaron of Tonkawa, and Bobby Kelly and wife Anna of Blackwell; two great grandchildren, Kennedy Marie Stanford and soon to be Baby Kelly; a brother, Charlie Bisch of St. Louis, Missouri; a sister, Nancy Williams of Bonne Terre, Missouri; a brother-in-law, Dude Pratte of Bonne Terre, Missouri; and extended family, Wilma Harman of Blackwell; Lyman Wayne Harman and wife Charlotte of Fallon, Nevada, Lee Harman and wife Patty of Blackwell, David Harman and wife Jeanie of Franklin, Tennessee, Karen Harman-McGowan and husband Bob of Perry, Kansas, Sharon Harman of Perry, Kansas; great niece, Misti Carmichael of Perry, Kansas; and many other nieces and nephews.
She was also preceded in death by her parents; three sisters, Laura Bisch, Lee Eatte Jaster and Monkey Pratte; a sister-in-law, Sue Bisch; and a brother-in-law, Allen Williams.
A prayer service is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 31st in the Roberts and Son Funeral Home Chapel in Blackwell. Funeral mass is set for 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, February 1st in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Blackwell with Father Deva Undralla of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ponca City officiating. Burial will follow in the Blackwell Cemetery.
Casketbearers will be Lyman Wayne Harman, Lee Harman, David Harman, Mark Cordell, Steve Kelley, Chad Kelly, Bobby Kelly and Aaron Stanford.
A memorial has been established in her honor with the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Building Fund in c/o Roberts and Son Funeral Home, 120 W. Padon, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631.
The casket will be closed at the church, but there will be visitation at the funeral home beginning all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 8:30 a.m. until 9:15 a.m.
And though our hearts are broken as we pass her empty chair, we know she’s smiling down on us until we meet her again.