Helen A. Bailly, 82, was born in 1940 in Fort Benton, Montana to Aloys and Helen Diekhans. She attended school in Choteau and Great Falls graduating from Central Catholic High School in 1958. Helen married George J. Bailly on September 3, 1960, in Great Falls. They moved to Fort Shaw to begin farming and ranching. They soon moved to Dutton to continue their lives in agriculture. In 1980, the family moved to Fairfield where George got into the Modern Farming Systems (MFS) franchise to begin selling and erecting grain bins and other general contracting work. They continued until retirement in 2005. Through these years, Helen worked with George in the businesses of agriculture and construction. She also worked as a cook at the hospital in Choteau and at the school in Fairfield. While in Fairfield she made pies in her kitchen that were sold at the Cozy Corner Café where they became famous. In 2005, with failing health, they made the decision to move to Billings to live with their middle son, Jerome. George died in 2013 and Helen moved back to Great Falls where she stayed until she went to be with her Lord in August of 2022.
Helen was preceded in death by her son, Matthew; daughter, Jennifer and husband George; parents Aloys and Helen; brother and sister-in-law, Al and Cecelia Diekhans; and brother-in-law, Ernie Bailly. She is survived by sisters, Mary Bailly of Great Falls, Angela (Jim) Core of Spokane, Beatrice Diekhans of Spokane, Barbara Diekhans of Billings, and Theresa Diekhans of Seattle; brothers, John (Natalie) Diekhans of Billings, Carl (Nadine) Diekhans of Mesquite, Leo (Karen) Diekhans of Indian Trail, NC, Frank Diekhans of Great Falls and lifelong friend Kay Rice of Great Falls; children, Joe (Beth) Bailly of Conrad, George (Deanna) Bailly of Snohomish WA, Jeannie (Gordon) Wright of Ladner, BC, Jerome Bailly of Billings, Janice Sullivan of Fernley, NV and Greg (Tessa) Bailly of Helena; last and certainly most important to her were grandchildren, Stephanie, Jessica, Danielle, Jacob, Montana, Melody, Ethan, Jake, Jenaya, Avery, Jaiden, Aly, Matthew, and Marcus; and her great-grandchildren, Myla, Daxton, Andrew, Sophia, Julian, Ozzy, and Bennett.
A memorial service will be held on September 3, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Condolences may be shared with the family online at www.SchniderFuneralHome.com.
