Kenneth "Jack" Bailey

Mr. Kenneth Keys "Jack" Bailey age 95, of Murray, Ky., died Saturday, January 19, 2013 at the Murray Calloway County Hospital.
He was born in Calloway County on Oct. 17, 1917 to the late Ernest Carlton Bailey and Annie Laurie Miller. Raised northwest of Five Points on what is now Bailey Road, he was the grandson of Barto Lee Bailey and Sarah Frances Reeves and John Lafayette "Fate" Miller and Lula Ann Lovins, all of Calloway County. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Paul D. Bailey, in 2009 and great niece, Allison Deanne Pritchett, in 2003.
Following graduation from Murray Training School, he was married on February 6, 1938 at the First Methodist Church of Huntington, Tenn., to the former Thelma Riley, who survives. She is the daughter of the late E.W. Riley and Maud Penny of Murray.
He was a veteran of World War II, having served 20 months in the European Theatre with the 1st Army, 258th Field Artillery Battalion. His unit landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day+6. He served in combat from June 1944 to May 1945. For combat service in France, Germany, Belgium and Holland, he earned five battle stars, including the Battle of the Bulge, before being discharged in 1945.
He worked for the United States Government for 35 years, serving as a civil engineer with the Maps and Surveys Branch of the TVA. First employed in January 1939 when Kentucky Dam was under construction, he retired in April of 1974. During his career, he did survey work in all areas of the Tennessee Valley where TVA was constructing dams and steam plants.
On several occasions, he was loaned to other government agencies to do mapping in at least a dozen states outside the Tennessee Valley. During these years, the Baileys were called upon to relocate approximately 60 times.
He was currently the oldest male member of Murray's First United Methodist Church and, since joining the church in 1946, served at various times on both the Administrative Board as well as the Board of Trustees.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by one niece, Becky Smith and husband Dewayne, of Murray; two nephews, Ernie R. Bailey and wife, Dorothy, of Murray and, Bill Bailey and wife Dianne, of Paducah; great nephew, Matthew Trent Bailey, of Memphis as well as by four special care-givers: Janeen Burkeen, Stephanie Love, Ava Peal and Freda Elliot.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 in the chapel of the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home with Dr. Rick Dye, Rev. Bob Saywell, Rev. Jim Stahler and Jason Hart officiating. Burial will follow in the Murray City Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 at the funeral home.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 503 Maple Street, Murray, KY 42071 or to a favorite charity.