Judge John Bailey

Judge John Ragan Bailey, 97, of Cape Girardeau passed away Monday, Sept. 17, 2012, at Landmark Hospital.

He was born Sept. 14, 1915, in Sikeston, Mo., to U.S. Rep. Ralph E. and Agnes Williams Bailey.

Bailey spent most of his life in Portageville, Mo.

His wife, Virginia Vinyard Bailey, preceded him in death July 8.

Survivors include three daughters, Barbara Bailey Bradford of St. Louis, Marcia Bailey Planchon of Germantown, Tenn., Rebecca Bailey Betz of Cape Girardeau; seven grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

Bailey was a graduate of Sikeston High School, attended Southeast Missouri State Teachers College (now Southeast Missouri State University), and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He also graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law.

He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1940. In 1941 Bailey accepted employment with E.B. Gee and remained associated with Gee farming and E.B. Gee Cotton and Grain Co. Inc. through the 1980s.

In 1961 Bailey was appointed probate judge of New Madrid County and retained that position until 1975 when he took the duties of the Magistrate Court and served as probate and ex-officio magistrate judge. He became associate circuit judge of New Madrid County in 1979. He went on to serve as circuit judge for Pemiscot and New Madrid counties until his retirement in 1987.

Bailey was a member of the American Bar Association, American Judicature Society, Missouri Bar, Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges and Missouri Association of Municipal and Associate Circuit Judges. He was a member of the Arkansas-Missouri Cotton Ginners Association and served as its president in 1977. He was the Missouri member of the National Cotton Board from 1974 to 1980, and Missouri alternate member from 1981 to 1983. He was a member of the Advisory Board to the University of Missouri Delta Center 12 years and served as secretary-treasurer of the old Missouri Cotton Producers Association.

During his time in Port-ageville, Bailey served three terms as a member of the Portageville School Board. He was a member of Portageville United Methodist Church and served as chairman of its board of trustees. He was a longtime member of Portageville Rotary Club, serving two terms as president, and a member of the Portageville Chamber of Commerce.

Since moving to Cape Girardeau in 2003, the Baileys were members of First Presbyterian Church.

Visitation will be from 1:30 p.m. to service time Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

The funeral will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Interment will be in Cape County Memorial Park.

Online condolences may be shared at www.fordandsonsfuneral home.com.