Obituary of Donna Kay Bailey

On Friday January 1, 2021 Donna K. Bailey our loving Mom passed away at the age of 80 at Lemay Health and Rehab in Fort Collins, Colorado. Donna was born in Kirk, Colorado on November 22, 1940 to Marvin and Mabel Walters. She was one of seven children. Donna and George William Bailey were married on December 8, 1984 in Pueblo, Colorado. They moved to Magnolia, Kentucky in the late 90’s. After losing William to cancer in 2002 she moved to Stratton, Colorado to be close to her children. Donna called Lemay her home for the last eight and a half years. Although it was hard to give up her home and independence she loved Lemay and the special people that cared for her. They were her extended family and they loved her so much. She loved the music programs, art activities, and she couldn’t wait for Bingo days. After her stroke even though she couldn’t talk she could sing every word to every song she knew, from singing Happy Birthday to her favorite Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. Because of her love of music she played several instruments, the organ, accordion, guitar, banjo and the harmonica. She played the harmonica as a part of her speech therapy to strengthen her lungs and mouth muscles. You knew by the look in her beautiful blue eyes and loving smile, the love she had in her heart for you, if she was being sassy, ornery or if she was ticked at you. Her love of gardening showed every time you walked into her room. It was full of plants that she was attending to or bouquets of flowers someone had brought her. Before her stroke her talents were many. She could create something beautiful out of nothing, whether it was doing crafts, sewing or poetry. She had a very giving heart whether it was when she had a children’s daycare in her home or rescuing an animal domestic or wild. She had a pet squirrel, skunk, raccoon and a deer just to name a few. She was preceded in death by her husband William Bailey, her parents Marvin and Mabel Walters, sister Maxine, brother Arlyn, nephew Mark Wood, nephew Rick Walters, niece Rhonda Thomas, and numerous aunts and uncles. Those left to cherish her memory are her children Jim(Shelia) Paintin of Burlington, Colorado, Debbie (Dave) Cure of Stratton, Colorado,and Levi Paintin of Vona, Colorado. Grandchildren Jenny (Tom) Stebly of Enid, Oklahoma, Jason (Michelle) Cure of Goodland, Kansas, Tanya(Casey) Jagers of Scott Bluff, Nebraska, Chase(Jessie) Paintin of Elsie, Nebraska, Sunnie Paintin, Layne Paintin and Shawna Paintin all of Denver, Colorado, great grandchildren Maren, Coralynn and Warren Stebly, Jacob, Creed, Aubrie and Emma Cure, Aspen Jagers, Tanner and Truett Paintin, sisters Yvonne (Conrad) Wood of La Quinta, California, Bonnie (Don) McKee of Colorado Springs, Colorado brothers Royce (Jeanie)Walters of Bethune, Colorado, Marvin (Bonnie) Walters of Florissant, Colorado and several nephew and nieces. Memorials may be made to the Stratton Ambulance and Fire Department in Donna's memory and may be left at or sent to Love Funeral Home, 377 15th Street, Burlington, Colorado 80807.