A memorial service was held Monday morning for the Illinois GOP Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey's son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.
Friends and family gathered at Oil Belt Christian Service Camp in Flora for a celebration of life for Zachary Bailey, his wife Kelsey, and two of their young children Vada Rose and Samuel. The four were killed in a helicopter crash in October.
Zachary is the oldest son of Illinois GOP politician Darren Bailey.
Longtime friend and former pastor Brian Newswander shared an obituary of the family recounting their lives and accomplishments. He remembered the Baileys as a deeply faith-filled family who served others, "I could go on and on, just like you could about the time of Zachary and Kelsey and Vada Rose and Samuel, which leads me to bring it all together with this. If you experience time with them, they gathered in love. Fellowship, hospitality, joyful extension. Connected by loving."
Tyler Sterchi is the past of the Bailey's church New Hope Church in Effingham. He shared his memory of when the family began attending services there, "And I knew something was special when they first showed up, mainly because they got to the service early and they sat near the front. But that was them. When they showed up, they showed up, like really showed up. They got involved. They made connections, they worshipped and sang loud."
The couple's third child, Finnley, was not in the helicopter that crashed. According to the obituary he is surrounded by loving family."
