A Link to so many Generations
On a beautiful Thursday morning of February 13, 2020, the Spirit of the Lord received his beautiful daughter Ollie Mae Watson into eternal life. This was a long awaited and anticipated voyage that she was ready to take. This beautiful soul was born May 14, 1935 in Wisner, La to the union of Georgia Anna and Frank Watson, Sr. She was the eldest of six children.
She was educated in a two-room school called Hopewell, and she finished her ninth-grade year at Alto High School. She honed her reading skills by reading the newspaper often. Because of this, Ollie was very instrumental in changing the financial footprint of her family. She saw a job posting where the school system was hiring black bus drivers the very day before the application deadline. She showed this to her father and the rest is history! She had a very special ‘daddy’s girl’ relationship with her father. She loved going everywhere with him, especially listening to him sing in a quartet group. She believed God was blessing her family by blessing her daddy. She believed all of her life that the Lord was with her and whatever she needed, she would just pray and God would answer her prayers.
As she continued through life, she met and married her first love, James Bailey. Through this union, they were blessed with an abundance of children. Each of them in their own way had attributes from both their mother and their father. The boys were all athletic in one form or another and Ollie’s daughters inherited her smile and kind heart.
Ollie Mae was driven by the work ethic installed in her at an early age from working in the steel mill, AMPEX and to her beloved and devoted career as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Her heart was always to help others. She has aided in raising others children and many of her very own grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She has been the link to so many generations in our family.
Likewise, she loved assisting her church family and Rev. Dr. Eugene Johnson at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Harvey, Ill. She was president of the pastor’s aid committee and chairperson of organizing many 7:45 am choir anniversary programs. Her leadership would pack the house!
As life would have it, she experienced love and she experienced lost. She is preceded in death by both of her parents, one sister, Mary Jane Watson, her eldest daughter, Yvonne Watson Davis, two sons, James and Lawrence Bailey.
She leaves to cherish a wonderful legacy of love through her siblings, Vera Mae Watson of Burkley, Calif., Annie Pearl Watson Coleman of Matteson, Ill., Frank Jr. and Margaret Watson of Chicago, Ill. and George and Amanda Watson of Omaha, Neb.
Her memory will also be forever cherished by her four sons, Alfred of Monroe, La, Leonard and Felicia Bailey of Las Vegas, Nev., Michael and Tamala Bailey of Monroe, La, Ernie Bailey of Chicago, Ill., one daughter-in-law, Franchon Bailey of Chicago, Ill. and one daughter, Telecia Watson of Las Vegas, Nev. She also leaves behind many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.
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