Wilburn Leonard “Tex” Bailey was born to William and Fannie Mae (Hill) Bailey on May 9, 1922 in Chillicothe, Texas.  As a young man Tex picked cotton and shucked peanuts by hand and loved riding horses and calves.  He attended school in Duster, Texas. 

   Tex met Reta Parrish in Lincoln while he was in the Army AirCorps.  They were united in marriage on November 6, 1943 at Seneca, Kansas.  To this union seven children were born.  He and Reta lived in Gorman, Texas with Tex’s parents for a short time after their marriage while Tex served his country in Italy.  They later moved to Nebraska where they bought and lived in the old Elk Creek hotel and Tex worked as a mechanic. Tex and Reta also lived on farms near St. Mary and the Spring Creek area.  They moved to Tecumseh where they raised their family.  Tex worked at the NE State Penitentiary in Lincoln for a time.  He later owned the Phillips 66 Station at the junction of Highway 50/136.  He sold the station and then purchased and ran Tex’s Sanitation Service in Tecumseh until his retirement. In his spare time Tex loved buying and fixing violins.  

   Tex dearly loved gospel music and enjoyed attending all day Gospel sings on the first Sunday in May.  He and Reta were long time active members of the First Baptist Church in Tecumseh. When their health declined, Reta and Tex moved to Belle Terrace in Tecumseh.  Reta passed away there on May 22, 2014.  Tex joined Reta in heaven on February 20, 2016 at the age of 93 years.

   He is survived by sons, Fred Bailey and wife Barbara of Lincoln, Dave Bailey and wife Brenda of Tecumseh, daughters, Linda Speckmann and husband Orville of Tecumseh, Connie Stinson and husband Ron of Lincoln, Delores Vancura of Lincoln and Jana Moore of Kansas City, MO, 11 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren, sister, Helen (Bailey) Roden of Kilgore, TX, sisters-in-law, Jo Bailey of Cleborne, TX, Doris Sporhase of Lincoln and LaVay Parrish of Tecumseh, nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.

    Tex was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of over 70 years, Reta, infant daughter, Mary Ellen, brothers, Vernus Bailey and Dewey Bailey, sister, Elsie Mae Hagood, brothers-in-law, Donald Roden, Donald Parrish, Harvey Sporhase and Harold Thies and sister-in-law Imogene Thies.  

    Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, February, 24, 2016 at the First Baptist Church in Tecumseh, Nebraska with Rev. Hugh Giesbrecht officiating.   Visitation will be at the Wherry Mortuary in Tecumseh, Nebraska, Tuesday, February 23, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with family greeting friends from 6-8 p.m.   Memorials may go to the First Baptist Church, Tecumseh, Nebraska.   Inurnment will be in the Vesta Cemetery, west of Tecumseh, Nebraska.  Online condolences may be left @ www.wherrymortuary.com.