Betty Lou “Betsy” Sparger Bailey passed away March 16, 2020, in Natchitoches. She was born Nov. 9, 1927, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Mount Airy, N.C., to Margaret Ashby and Randall Worth Sparger Sr.

Growing up, she loved the mountains, wild flowers, camp, swimming, riding horses and reading.  The Sparger apple was from the orchards of her grandfather. She was a graduate of Randolph Macon Women’s College where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority and Phi Beta Kappa. She and her late husband of 68 years, Fred Winston Bailey, made Shreveport, Louisiana their home.

She and Fred were founding members of St. Lukes Methodist Church, Shreveport, and active members of First United Methodist Church, Shreveport. The Baileys were charter members of the Tower at the Oaks, and lived later at Savannah at the Oaks in Shreveport, followed by the Courtyard of Natchitoches.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and brother, Randall W. Sparger Jr. of Pfafftown, N.C.

She is survived by her daughters, Amy Evans (John) of Breckenridge, Colo., Beth Whitsitt (Allen) of Collierville, Tenn., and Sarah Luster (John) of Natchitoches; grandchildren, Laurie Lamb, Will Evans (Lee), Margaret Evans, Alison Hinson (Gary), Hal Whitsitt, Bill Luster, Rebecca Radford (Alex) and J.P. Luster (Morgan); great-grandchildren, Joseph Lamb, Elizabeth and Nell Hinson, Elizabeth and Katherine Evans; and nephew, Randall Sparger III of Charlotte, N.C.

Private services will be at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials to the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center Foundation, Briarwood Nature Preserve or the charity of your choice.