Miriam Barlow Bailey was born October 24, 1905 in Burlington Junction, Missouri, her mother's hometown. At that time, there were few doctors in the freshly settled region of Wyoming where her parents resided. Nevertheless, she was raised on the frontier and spend most of her life on ranches along the New Fork River in Wyoming's Upper Green River Basin. Her father, Perry Wilson Jenkins, passed the legislation that created Sublette County, Wyoming and represented that region in the Wyoming State Senate.
She matriculated at the University of Wyoming in 1924 and spent two years there, joining Pi Beta Phi sorority. She then transferred to the University of Utah, from which she graduated magna cum laude in 1928. While at the University of Utah, she met Norman Barlow, the son of a fruit farmer from Bountiful, Utah and the descendent of early Mormon pioneers. They were married in 1929.In 1930, she and Norman moved back to the family's Bar Cross Ranch in Cora, Wyoming, which they operated together until his death in 1972. During that time, she helped found the Cowbelles, the ladies auxiliary of the American National Stockgrower's Association. Like Miriam's father, Norman represented Sublette County in the Wyoming Senate for many years, serving as well on the Upper Colorado River Commission and as President of the Wyoming Stockgrower's Association. Miriam was his full partner in all these endeavors.
In October of 1947, she gave birth to their only child, John Perry Barlow. She helped John Perry run their ranch from 1972 until 1988. She was also proud of his work as a songwriter for the Grateful Dead and as the co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
She was extremely proud of her three grand-daughters, Leah Barlow, 17, Anna Winter Barlow, 16, and Amelia Barlow, 13.
In addition to her son and grandchildren, she is actively survived by her dear sister, Ruth Wilson Oliver of Thayne, Wyoming and Wickenberg, Arizona.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her two husbands, Norman Barlow and Donald Bailey, and her sisters Lois Jenkins and Helen O'Neil.
Miriam Bailey - or "Mim," as she was generally known - was a natural force in the Universe. She lived a very large life. No one who met her remained unchanged. Nevertheless, she had a quiet faith that gave her the same fearlessness in the face of death that she exhibited in most conditions of peril. The world will be less interesting without her.
There will be viewings at the Evans & Early Funeral Home at 574 East 100 So. from 7 pm to 8 pm Monday the 12th of July and between noon and 1 pm on Tuesday the 13th. Her funeral will be held at the Community Congregational Church in Pinedale, Wyoming at 3 pm Saturday the 17th of July, followed by interment at the Pinedale Cemetery.