KAROL LYNN “MIKE” MATHENY

Karol Lynn “Mike” Bailey was born October 8, 1945, in Creston to George Franklin Bailey, Sr and Lucille Mae (King) Bailey. She attended Elementary, Junior High and High School at Clearfield Community Schools, Graduating High School from Clearfield in 1964. During high school Mike played basketball, ran track, was a cheerleader, a member of the high school band and enjoyed watching Dwight play baseball.
After graduation, Mike attended AIB in Des Moines, graduating in 1965 with a degree in Typing and Key Punch. From there, she worked in Creston as a Key Punch Operator and married Dwight that same year, on November 7, 1965. From 1966-1969 Mike worked from Dannen Elevator and Doc Gordon as a bookkeeper and secretary, until Dwight was drafted in the Army in 1969. She and Dwight moved to Fort Ord, CA, driving their ’66 Chevelle SS on its first major road trip to where Dwight would be stationed for the next two years. Mike faithfully wrote weekly letters while they lived in California to her parents, Dwight’s parents, their family and friends. They had many visitors from Iowa come and stay while they were there, with many pictures and memories of that time.
In 1971, Mike and Dwight returned home to Clearfield where Mike went to work for her mom, Lucille at the Clearfield Chronicle; where she would continue to work help putting out the weekly paper until George and Lucille retired in 1994. On October 9, 1974, Courtney Kay was born to Mike and Dwight, only missing being born on Mike’s birthday by 29 minutes. Those next few years kept Mike quite busy. In 1976 Dwight and Mike bought E&E Grocery from Dwight’s parents, Earl and Eileen, thus Mike began a second career in the grocery and retail business, along with the weekly publication of the Clearfield Chronicle. In 2004, Dwight and Mike built Mickey D’s Bar in Clearfield, retiring from there in 2015 and eventually moving to Treynor then onto Griswold.
Throughout Mike’s life she enjoyed spending time with Dwight, watching Courtney grow up, along with her nieces and nephews, always participating in anything they were doing. She loved to be outside, sunbathe, golf on ladies and couples night weekly, was an avid runner, loved going to the Chicken Inn for weekend dances in the Chevelle, playing cards with friends on a Saturday night, sing karaoke, vacation with family and watching her grandchildren grow up. Each summer her grandchildren Alex, Trey and Kaden would come to stay with Nana and Poppy – Mike would always make sure there was fishing, swimming, golfing, picnic afternoons, movies, games, etc involved. And she never missed an event they participated in. She loved every minute of it and every minute of life. She was loved by all and will be dearly missed by all.
Mike passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 17, 2020 at the Griswold Skilled Care and Rehabilitation Center in Griswold. Mike was preceded in death by her parents, George Sr. and Lucille Bailey; her sister, Pauletta Burgher; her mother and father-in law, Earl Dwight, Sr. and Eileen Matheny.
Those that continue and live on in Mike’s legacy are her husband of 54 years, Dwight Matheny, residing in Griswold; daughter, Courtney Snyder-Burhenne and her husband Jason of Treynor; her grandchildren, Alex (Snyder) Stone, 26; Trey Snyder, 23 and Kaden Snyder, 16; her brother, George Bailey, Jr. and friend Janie, Nashville, TN; sister-in-law, Linda (Brownrigg) Bailey, Clearfield; sister-in-law, Karen Elliott, Clearfield; sister-in-law, Donna Lou Moore and her husband, Keith, Creston; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Celebration of Life for Mike will be held at Bootleggers in Clearfield on August 22, 2020 from 2-4 p.m. Armstrong Funeral Home in Clearfield and Mount Ayr is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.armstrongfh.com.