Page 42 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Winter 2020- Online Magazine
P. 42
Hugh E. Bailey A Life Well-Lived for
100 Years
by his daughter, Donna Dickey
Camp Beal, California, retired in 1980 and was a 72-year
and Angel Island, member of the Masonic Lodge
California. He traveled of Wheeler County. After 44
on the Queen Mary to years together, Garnet passed
Glasgow, Scotland and away in 1989. They had had
went on to Normandy no children, but in 1993, Hugh
Beach, where his duty married Mae Shelton and moved
was to help take care back to his childhood home on
of the wounded until the ranch. Mae’s children grew
they could be shipped to love their stepfather dearly.
to hospitals. He served The big family made many
at POW camps in La happy memories together at the
Mas, France and in Mobeetie ranch. “He loved the
Germany, guarding ranch, the cows, the cowboy life.
and caring for Nazi He loved the peace and quiet,”
and Japanese prisoners.
He helped save the life
of a certain Japanese
doctor who became a
lifelong friend.
Hugh was very proud
of his service to the
United States and told
Hugh Bailey was born in many stories of his
Mobeetie (between Pampa and adventures. One of the stories I
Wheeler) on August 29, 1918, on remember the most was about his
his grandparents’ ranch to John unit foraging for food. “We were
and Pearl Bailey. He attended in Germany when the whole unit
the Mobeetie Schools where he became very hungry and came to
graduated. He was a track star a tree full of green apples. They
and competed in state track. He were good, but we all became
was at North Texas State College real sick from eating them and
in Arlington, Texas, following a had to delay travel for several
career in agriculture, when Uncle days.” He had many funny said his granddaughter LaDonna,
Sam called him into service. stories, and all of his children “and he loved it when we all
will treasure them always. came to visit.” The children
Hugh served as a U.S. Army brought their children and then
Medic during World War II. He When Hugh came home in their grandchildren as often as
completed his basic training at 1945, he married a young lady possible, especially on holidays,
El Paso and William Beaumont named Garnet, took on his and Hugh loved teaching them
Hospital. He had intense training portion of the family ranch and all “how to be a cowboy.”
at Camp Grant, Illinois and managed it for the rest of his LaDonna says, “His heart was
Shanks, New York and also at life. He also worked for Phillips open to everybody.”
Petroleum Company until he
42 Amarillo Senior Link
