Donna Rose Bailey

Donna Rose (Kent) Bailey, 97, of Dowagiac, passed away on March 11, 2018 at Cass County Medical Care Facility in Cassopolis. Born on September 15, 1920 in Dowagiac, Donna was the only child of LaRue John Kent, a farmer and former Cass County Road Commissioner, and Cora Mildred (Leich) Kent of Volinia Township. Donna graduated from Dowagiac High School in 1938 and subsequently graduated from the South Bend College of Commerce in 1939. As a secretarial assistant she worked for attorneys Carroll Jones of Marcellus and Lewis James, James Hoff, Herman Seitz, Brice Cobb and Robert Waterson, all of Dowagiac. Eventually she retired from Southwestern Michigan College in 1985. On February 1, 1946 in Dowagiac, she married Kenneth Edward Bailey who preceded her in death in 2013. Donna enjoyed exercising, reading, taking long walks, playing cards, knitting, square dancing, and cooking (her scalloped potatoes, lemon pie and homemade noodles were legendary!). Donna was an attractive, fashion-conscious woman who was also an exemplary, loving mother and wife, making numerous sacrifices for the benefit of her son, Gary, of Dowagiac/Palm Springs, California, and daughter, Patti, of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Also surviving is a niece, Shirley (Bailey) Silverthorn, of Lehigh Acres, Florida. Donna was an avid supporter of University of Michigan athletics and a Dowagiac Chieftain fan as well. She was a member of the Dowagiac Junior Arts Club, the Antlerettes of Elks #889, the Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the First Christian Church of Dowagiac. In keeping with Donna’s wishes, there will be no memorial service. Cremation has taken place and arrangements entrusted to Clark Chapel and Cremation Services, 405 Center Street, Dowagiac. Inurnment will take place at the family plot in Riverside Cemetery, Dowagiac, at a later date. Memorial contributions in memory of Donna may be made to the Dowagiac Area History Museum, the Dowagiac District Library, the Dowagiac Union Schools Foundation or Southwestern Michigan College. Those wishing to share a memory of Donna or sign her guestbook may do so online at www.clarkch.com.