Roberta G. Bailey, age 92, of Brookings, died Easter Sunday morning, April 16, 2017, at the Brookings Hospital.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday, April 21, at the First Presbyterian Church in Brookings. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at Eidsness Funeral Home. Roberta will be buried in Atlantic, Iowa, at the Atlantic Cemetery at 11 a.m.on Tuesday, April 25, 2017.
Roberta was born March 31, 1925, to Harry and Olive (Nicholson) Gaulke in What Cheer, Iowa. She grew up in Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Science in Textiles and Clothing and Home Economics. She met the love of her life, James H. Bailey, a veterinary student at a musical event between her sorority, Delta Zeta, and his fraternity, Farmhouse. They married on May 26, 1946, and moved to Atlantic, Iowa, where James went into veterinary practice with his father, Ross Campbell Bailey. Roberta taught school in Anita, Iowa, until their family started, and substitute taught thereafter. James and Roberta raised six children and lived in both Atlantic, Iowa and Ames, Iowa, where James was on staff in the veterinary program. In 1968, they moved to Brookings where James became the Extension Veterinarian at South Dakota State University. Roberta worked in food service for the University before opening the Sod Buster Restaurant and Lounge.
Roberta was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Brookings where she sang in the choir, and participated in various women’s activities. She loved to quilt, was a member of the Brookings Quilt Guild and taught quilting classes during University Week for Women. She loved doing quilts for Habitat for Humanity and took pride in giving quilts to her family. After her children were grown, Roberta took organ lessons from Paul Royer, became a proficient organist, and a member of American Guild of Organists. She enjoyed being a substitute organist at church and loved playing Bach! Roberta was also an accomplished craftswoman who mastered wood carving, knitting, Hardanger (Norwegian embroidery), quilting and egg decorating. She enjoyed singing, playing music with her grandchildren, playing bridge and word games, as well as bowling and golf where she got a hole-in-one at the Brookings Country Club.
Surviors include: her husband, James, and five (5) children: Carol Bailey of Corpus Christi, Texas; Mary Lou Ulmer (David) of Sioux Falls; Janet Meyer (Tom Wolf, special friend) of Watertown; Joyce Buckley (Paul) of Brookings; and John Bailey (Robin) of Sioux Falls; eight (8) grandchildren and eleven (11) great-grandchildren. She is also survived by LaJean Gaulke, her sister-in-law, from Slater, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Olive and Harry Gaulke; sister, Irene Wiltsie, brother, Gordon Gaulke, infant brother, Loren, and son, Dennis James Bailey.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the music ministry of First Presbyterian Church, 405 7th Avenue, Brookings, 57006.
