Rosemary Bayless

PEORIA – Rosemary E. Bayless, 93, of Peoria, formerly of Morton, passed away on Monday, September 19, 2022, at Buehler Home in Peoria.
The daughter of Harold F. and Gertrude (Degner) Schlicksup, who both preceded her in death. She was born on June 1, 1929 at home in Peoria Heights, Ill.

She attended St. Bernard and St. Thomas Grade Schools, graduating from the Academy of Our Lady in 1947.

She married James R. Bayless, Sr. on June 17, 1950 at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Peoria Heights. James “Bob” and Rosemary were married for almost 66 years. He preceded her in death on January 4, 2016.
Surviving are five sons, James, Jr. (Julie) of Princeville, Michael T. (Cathy) and Jeffrey R. (Heidi) of Morton, David A. of Indianapolis, Ind. and Steve P. (Jennifer) of Port Huron, Mich.

Also surviving is a sister-in-law, Virginia Schlicksup of Peoria; eight grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband and parents, Rosemary was preceded in death by her daughter, Christina Rose; four brothers, Dr. Edward J. Schlicksup, Harold F. Schlicksup, Jr., John F. “Jack” Schlicksup and William F. Schlicksup; and two sisters, Gertrude R. Schlicksup and Kathryn M. Morrissey.

Rosemary was a caretaker for most of her married life. She helped take care of her father when her mother died. She also cared for her daughter for 10 of her 15 years of life and her husband for 13 years with his disease of Alzheimer’s.

After raising her family, she worked part-time at Hallmark in Morton and also for her brother, Jack, at Scrip, Inc. in Peoria.

She volunteered at OSF St. Francis Clinic in Morton and also at Buehler Home, where she lived. She was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Morton where she was also a volunteer.

Rosemary spent a lot of her time researching genealogy online for her German and Irish family roots. She also enjoyed organizing reunions with her Schlicksup/Stanton families from 1981 to 2000.

Cremation will be accorded. A Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Morton, with Msgr. Gerald Ward officiating. Visitation will be from 9 to 10:45 a.m. prior to the Mass at the church. Entombment will be at Resurrection Mausoleum in Peoria at a later date.

The family would like to thank Dr. Gordan James, Dr. Tom Kouri and the nursing staff at Buehler home for her care.
Knapp-Johnson Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Morton is handling arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Morton, the Building Fund for St. Philomena’s in Peoria, the Alzheimer’s Association or the charity of the donor’s choice.

Knapp-Johnson Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Morton is handling arrangements.

To leave an online condolence for the family, visit www.knappjohnson.com.