Ida Bailey

Walking through cemeteries one always sees engraved on most headstones, the person’s name and their birth date followed by a DASH, and the date of their passing.  Two important dates in the life of the person being memorialized.  But what hides there, in that DASH? That person’s story of their life, all encapsulated in that tiny little line?

Ida Mae (Halbrooks) Bailey’s DASH starts in Lark, Texas on July 17, 1925. Her DASH cherishing her mom and dad, one brother and 5 sisters who all proceeded her in death.  If you peer for a moment, her DASH has little particles of sand representing the dust bowl in Texas and a subsequent move to Hotchkiss, Colorado. Ida’s family moving with everything they owned tied to their Model T.

If you look a little closer, there’s an ornamental little braid engraved on the DASH, lovingly entwined with memories from 73 years of marriage to Ernest Clay Bailey. Extending from that engraved braid are four branches of her family tree, with Ernie’s gifts to her of a daughter, Donna and three sons, Gary, Randy and Danny. Then there are 9 more little branches representing the grandchildren and there are the tiniest little branches for 9 great-grandchildren.  All a part of Ida’s DASH.

Turn that DASH just a bit more and you see PRECIOUS MOMENTS, dozens of them collected over the years and then, there was that memorable trip to Carthage, Missouri to the Chapel. Yep, that trip is in the DASH too.

Another small turn of Ida’s DASH.  This one reveals the largest of all the engravings. First, you see God’s Word, stamped on her heart, but lived out, prayed out, walked out in her life.  A prayer warrior, who took God’s promises literally and embedded them in the hearts of her family!

Oh!  We can see there’s a fresh, very new engraving on her DASH, dusted with just a fleck of gold, obviously just finalized.  A stepping stone, just a small little step, like the tiny little DASH.  That small step, taking her from this world and onto streets of gold and into the arms of her Savior.

One final turn of the DASH and you see glistening crystal-like drops.  They are teardrops, tumbling down onto her DASH! Sorrowful teardrops starting on September 6, 2018.  Ida’s DASH is finished!  Thou good and faithful servant.  You are in a place with no more pain, no more sorrow, no more tears. We will miss you Ida, Mom, Granny B.