Copyright Chicago Tribune
FLORA, Ill. — From across the state, several hundred mourners gathered Monday inside a cavernous gymnasium in rural southeastern Illinois to remember the son of Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey, two of his grandchildren, and his daughter-in-law, all of whom were killed in a helicopter crash last month. In what could have been a somber ceremony marked by sudden tragedy, the funeral for the four instead became a celebration of the victims, Zachary Bailey, his wife, Kelsey, and two of their children, 12-year-old Vada Rose and 7-year-old Samuel — lives that those at the event said were defined by grace and optimism guided by their devout Christian faith. Speaking at the ceremony, Collin Moseley, a close friend of Darren Bailey, questioned whether “good morning” was an appropriate greeting for the audience before concluding, “the good news is the answer is yes. Today can be a good morning.” “If you believe in a loving, redeeming, life-giving and comforting Heavenly Father, a Father who gives eternal life that Zach and Kelsey and Vada Rose and Samuel already entered into, we can call today a celebration of life, both life on Earth and life eternal,” said Moseley, a former legislative staffer of Darren Bailey’s during his time as a lawmaker in the Illinois General Assembly. On Oct. 22, Zach Bailey, 37, was piloting his helicopter, with his 35-year-old wife and the two children as passengers. The crash occurred near Ekalaka, Montana. There were no survivors; however, Zach Bailey and his wife had a third child, 10-year-old Finnley Tate, who was not on board. The family was in Montana because Zach Bailey was attending an event related to his aviation business. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which happened just weeks after Darren Bailey announced his plans to run for the GOP nomination for governor for a second time. At the gymnasium on the grounds of Oil Belt Christian Service Camp, attendees watched a slideshow of Zach Bailey, his wife and children with Christian music playing in the background, at times through live performances. The victims’ caskets sat next to each other as each casket was covered with a different-colored collection of carnations — yellow, blue-green, lavender and dark red. Darren Bailey and his wife, Cindy, did not speak during the event. One of the speakers, Bryan Newswander, said he knew the four from where they attended church in Effingham, about 30 miles north, and where Newswander had delivered sermons. He said their families became close. Newswander said he used to love talking to Zach Bailey about “great food and amazing coffee,” and Zach Bailey inspired him to buy a cast-iron skillet and cook ribeye steak. “I’m still working on that,” Newswander said. “I never perfected it like he did.” Newswander also recalled how, when his wife faced a complex surgery, Zach and his family provided support, as one of Newswander’s children referred to Kelsey Bailey as “Mama Kelsey.” Newswander said that while the four victims may have lived brief lives, it’s important to celebrate the “hope and the promise and the eternal future” of their spirit. “We know without a shadow of a doubt that they are in heaven,” Newswander said. “Their lives are now being lived greater than ever before in the presence of God in the eternal future that is promised to all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.” The oldest of Darren and Cindy Bailey’s four children, Zach Bailey was born in Springfield and attended high school in Louisville, Illinois, where his father grew up. He became active in the Illinois Governmental Internship Program and participated in the Future Farmers of America, according to his obituary. He grew up farming and continued to excel at it with his father, grandfather and brothers on the Bailey Family Farm. Drawing on his farming background and love of flying, Zach Bailey co-founded Guardian Aero, his aviation business. He was a trained pilot for planes and helicopters and was working toward earning a commercial license, his obituary said. His wife, Kelsey, became a teacher at the Full Armor Christian Academy, the school Darren and Cindy Bailey founded. According to her obituary, Kelsey Bailey earned various sports training certifications and “sought to educate others as well about her other passion, health and fitness.” Zach and Kelsey Bailey also competed in fitness competitions and owned a supplements and nutrition business in Effingham called Faithfully Fit, according to their obituary. Their 12-year-old daughter, Vada Rose Bailey, made a name for herself as the “Warrior Wrestling Princess” on her school wrestling team and was a budding actress with the Flora Nostalgia Theater, her obituary said. She aspired to be a baker, and she “loved people, especially her cousins and friends, and her cats.” Samuel Bailey “was following in his family’s footsteps and was a farm boy at heart, with a love of farming and playing with tractors,” his obituary said. He was a collector of pocket knives, bottle openers and patches, while he also loved jiujitsu, wrestling, riding his bike and being in the woods. “When you saw him, he would have his button-up shirt on with a leather belt, cowboy boots,” his obituary said. A former Illinois state senator and state representative from rural Clay County, near Louisville and Flora, Darren Bailey was the Republican nominee for governor in 2022 before losing by about 13 percentage points to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker. Bailey’s rural, evangelical Christian-rooted campaign and his allegiance to President Donald Trump clashed with Chicago and suburban voters, as Trump lost blue-leaning Illinois in three straight presidential elections. But Pritzker and his wife, MK, attended the Bailey family’s wake in Clay County on Sunday, according to both the Bailey and Pritzker campaigns. One of Bailey’s rivals for the GOP nominee for governor, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, attended the Monday services. Aaron Del Mar of Palatine, Bailey’s running mate for lieutenant governor, said he learned from the tragedy how many people have rallied around Bailey with so much support that it has put “a lot of pieces together the puzzle of the man that I’m running with.” As for whether Bailey plans to continue on with his campaign for the 2026 election, Del Mar wouldn’t say, but offered a clue. “We mourn today and we fight tomorrow,” he said.
