Raelen Bayless

Raelen Bayless

Raelen J. Miller Bayless, 29, of Springfield, Ill., formerly of Villa Ridge, Ill., passed away at 5:13 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, at her home.

Raelen was born Sept. 4, 1980, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Ray D. Miller and Carolyn Jackson Miller.

Raelen was a corrections officer with the Lincoln Correctional Center in Lincoln, Ill. She was a 1998 graduate of Meridian High School in Mounds, Ill., where she was a very active softball and basketball player. She was also in an acting class in Chicago.

Survivors include her parents, Ray Miller and Carolyn Miller of Villa Ridge; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Darrell and Marilyn Miller of Brawley, Calif., and Tracey R. and Sherry Miller of Cape Girardeau; two sisters, Carol G. and Randy George of Grand Chain, Ill., and Cindy D. Miller and Kevin Calvin of Villa Ridge; maternal grandparents, Dallas Jackson Sr. of Mounds; Pat and Harold Schmarje of Jackson; three nieces, Meredith Littrell, Heide Watson, Haley Hefner; three nephews, J.B. George, Jerrod (Tiffany) George, Drake Persinger; several aunts; uncles; and other relatives.

By the request of the family, visitation and funeral services will be private at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge, with the Rev. Scott Kelley officiating. Interment will follow in Miller Family Cemetery in America, Ill.

At the request of the family, expressions of sympathy may take the form of memorials to the American Legion Post 178, attention George Nelson, 199 Mason Road Villa Ridge, IL 62996, or the Southern Illinois Pet Society attention Birdie Conant, 726 Wessenberg Road, Villa Ridge, IL 62996, in memory of Raelen J. (Miller) Bayless.

Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge is in charge of arrangements.