Ernest Joseph Bailly

Ernest Joseph Bailly, 90, of Great Falls, passed away on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. Visitation will be Friday, January 11, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Schnider Funeral Home. Vigil service will be Friday, January 11, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. The funeral liturgy will be Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 10 a.m. also at Our Lady of Lourdes with burial to follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Ernest J. Bailly was born on April 25, 1928 in Riverside, MT to Joseph and Anna Bailly. He attended school at Longview Schoolhouse through the eighth grade. He worked on his family’s farm and dug wells for local farmers until joining the army for a two year tour in 1951. Ernie and Mary Diekhans were united in marriage at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on September 2, 1961. Ernie was a man of the earth. Whether traveling to his family’s farm in eastern Montana for harvest or working in his own garden, he was most at home tending the soil. He raised his children like he raised his corn, with love and attention from the time they looked up to him until the time he looked up to them. Along with providing for his family through bountiful produce, he was also an avid hunter and keen shot. Several of his children and grandchildren have inherited a love for getting into nature through camping, hiking, or hunting. He was a creative man, tinkering in his garage, fixing just about anything and building useful and interesting tools. Some of his most memorable creations were highlights of the pet and doll parade where he could bring a child’s imagination to life with a little chicken wire and napkins. He loved playing cards, bowling, telling stories, and a good belly laugh. He worked for Falls Tire and then for 31 years at Meadow Gold Dairy keeping machines and trucks running, and even adapting a back bumper that made loading easier. Most importantly, he was dedicated to his Catholic faith through his involvement at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and School, the Knights of Columbus for 71 years, and the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus. He taught his children about service and prayer. He carried his rosary card in his shirt pocket and his brown wooden rosary in his pants pocket when they weren’t in his hands. He was small in stature and never topped 5 foot 2; however, the height of his devotion to faith, family, and friends could overshadow giants. Ernest is survived by his wife Mary, children: Helen, Mary (Tim) Stebbins, Katy (Tony) Noble, Eugene (Leanne), Richard, Edi, John (Loren), Margaret (Bryce) Guillory, and Tom, grandchildren: Josh (Megan), Ali, Bailly, Caleb, Emma, Jenna, Alexa, Sophia, Delilah, Veronica, Sean, and Jackson, great-grandchildren: Lucy, Josephine, and Charlotte, and his brother Leon as well as many family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and six of his siblings, Marguerite Lemieux, Julian, Agnes Brown, Magdeline Losinski, George, and Albert. Donations may be made to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church or St. Ann’s Cathedral.