Gravesite spruced up in Fort Smith
Ex-commissioner Tony Whitford assembles team to fix gravesite for Gordon and Mary Bailey
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, June 26, 2017
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
A group of Good Samaritans has fixed up a gravesite in Fort Smith that had been neglected and left in a state of disrepair.
The before and after photos of the Fort Smith gravesites of Rev. Gordon Bailey and his wife Ruth Bailey show the work that went into sprucing them up. Former NWT commissioner Tony Whitford joined ex-cabinet minister Michael Miltenberger and three bikers to improve the site and preserve the Bailey's legacy. - photos courtesy of Tony Whiford
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The gravesites are those of Rev. Gordon Bailey and his wife Ruth.
They died less than a month apart back in late 1996. He was 89. She was 85.
After they retired, the couple eventually moved to a senior's residence in Fort Smith after years of dedicated work helping the homeless and other people down on their luck in Yellowknife.
That is according to Anthony Whitford.
The former NWT commissioner was one of a group of people who travelled to Fort Smith in mid-May to spruce up the Bailey's gravesite.
"Over the years the cemetery where they were kind of grew over. The crosses fells down and it went into neglect," Whitford said.
"It was brought to my attention and to others that this was the case. Because they were from Yellowknife, it was felt Yellowknifers should look after it."
Whitford said he got talking to former NWT cabinet minister Michael Miltenberger who lives in Fort Smith, last winter in Yellowknife and they decided to so something about it.
Whitford said he then shared the story with some motorcyclists in Yellowknife who had gathered in front of Tim Hortons.
Ted Kidston, Jim Crawley and Pat Tymchatyn offered to help.
One of them said they knew where to get a tombstone and another said he had access to artificial turf, Whitford said.
He noted the bikers often go on long rides so they decided to make a trip to Fort Smith to help in the worthy cause.
"I'm not a biker but I was the procurement person - shovels and hoes and rakes - you name it. We ended up with three bikers, myself and Mr. Miltenberger," Whitford said.
"Then we went to work. The headstone was donated by Capital Transit Mix of Yellowknife."
Whitford said they bought in some lumber and a chain to cordon off the gravesites.
He said it was the least they could do for two people had had done so much for people in Yellowknife.
"He was a Pentecostal minister. They set up their church in Old Town and they ended up taking the homeless a few at a time," Whitford recalled.
"Pretty soon the place was packed with homeless folk. They did that for years and years.
"They never had any problems. No matter the state of intoxication. Mrs. Bailey was like a mother to them.
"She called them her boys. They were always welcome night or day."
Whitford said it was important to give the Bailey's the respect in death that he said they earned when they were still alive.
