- Date Of Birth: July 30, 1934
- Date Of Death: April 23, 2017
- State: California
With family by her side, Eva Mae Bailey passed away at Mercy Hospital in downtown Bakersfield on the morning of Sunday, April 23. She was 82. Eva was born to Joe Wheeler and Verna Mae (Rie) Buford in the town of Lepanto, Arkansas on July 30, 1934. As Eva and her family moved westward, she met Sam Bailey in Eloy, Arizona. The two wed on Eva’s 17th birthday, July 30, 1951 in Bakersfield and spent the next 63 years as husband and wife, eventually settling in Taft. After Sam was drafted into the United States Army to fight in the Korean War, Eva gave birth to the couple’s first child, Jackie Mae, on July 20, 1952. The couple’s eldest son, Sammy Joe, arrived in the fall of 1953 and their final child, Tommy, tagged along in May of 1955 as the family called a ranch halfway between Lamont and Arvin their home. Most of her life, Eva tended to her three children and four grandchildren, though she worked at Parkview Real as a cook at the convalescent home in Bakersfield for some time. Eva never put anything before her family and instilled that same value in her children. She also had a strong, personal relationship with God. As Eva’s grandchildren began to arrive in the mid-1980s, she deftly settled into her role as loving grandmother, known to her four grandkids as Granny. Ashley, Elizabeth, Ben and Joseph spent entire summers at Granny’s house on Bell Avenue in Taft. Eva’s children and grandchildren spent just about every birthday, holiday and vacation with Granny and Papa, usually enjoying the warm weather in Taft at their swimming pool. Eva enjoyed nothing more than being with her family at home, listening to her favorite country albums and preparing dinner. She always loved Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, along with The Statler Brothers. Her and son-in-law Jerry Peavyhouse either came together to prepare the family meals or competed against each other to serve up the best dish. Toward the end of her life, even as her health began to fade, Eva’s strong spirit never wavered. She always made sure to tell each family member that she loved them, even if they were just going home for the night. Eva is survived by her three children, Jackie (Jerry Peavyhouse), Sammy (Sandra Wagner) and Tommy (Brenda Mead); her sister Rosemary Foster, brother John Buford and sister Shirley Buford; three grandchildren Ashley, Elizabeth and Joseph; sister-in-law Christine; nephews Tim Mercado and Philip Russell, among numerous other nephews and nieces in Bakersfield, Arkansas, Alabama and Texas. Eva was preceded in death by her loving husband Sam; her beloved grandson Benjamin Alexander Wheeler Bailey; parents J.W. Wheeler and Vernia; her sisters Colleen Sephus, Martha Russell, Jackie Bailey and brothers William and Joe “Bud” Buford. The family would like to thank the nursing staff at Downtown Mercy Hospital for providing care with the respect and dignity Eva deserved.
