BRODHEAD - Clint Bailey has taken on a few careers in his lifetime and has enjoyed each of them. His love for being around children after years of teaching led him to driving a school bus for the last 15 years, and he says it was a way for him to connect in an informal setting.
After going back and forth between Wisconsin and Nebraska for years, he's now enjoying life while traveling with his wife Mary and spending time with family whenever and wherever he can.
Bailey was born in southwestern Nebraska in his grandfather's farmhouse, which still stands today. He recalls the blizzard in 1949 when the snowdrifts were as high as two-story buildings. But he loved the weather otherwise, especially the Nebraska springs.
His family moved to Wausau when Bailey was in seventh grade. It was much colder in Wisconsin, but Bailey says he loved the fishing. The family farm grew over the years, and he was definitely expected to help. He remembers summers spent planting and weeding at the farm.
His father made sure they always had a jersey cow for milk and cream, since they gave the most, he said. Later on, they would milk 14 dairy cows on the 40-acre farm. During World War II, he recalls his father selling some of their cream on the black market, and he sometimes sold it directly to the store when they ran out.
He attended high school in Wausau for a year, but then went to the new DC Everest School, where he graduated in 1956. He says he was an involved student who loved school and band - playing the baritone whenever he could get away from his farm duties.
After graduation, Bailey says he knew he would go on to college for music. He earned his degree at Central State College of Stevens Point, now the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, in instrumental music with a minor in history. It was there he met Mary, who played clarinet.
He says teaching was always something he looked forward to.
"I hoped I'd make a difference in some of the kids' lives," Bailey said.
He landed his first job in Bowler, teaching band for grades 5-12. He also taught a social studies class and American government.
He says he loved teaching immediately, along with Mary, and the couple was soon married.
The temperature was below zero every day in February that winter in Bowler, and Bailey says he never liked the cold. After four years in Bowler, they decided to move to central Nebraska, hoping for warmer weather.
The job in Nebraska wasn't what he expected. The village of Elba had a population of 200 on a good day. Bailey says he taught music and band for grades K-6 for three years. But after he and Mary started a family, they moved back to Wisconsin, to Bangor, to be closer to grandparents.
Bailey taught band fulltime for six years in Bangor, and he loved the hills just east of La Crosse. He still loved teaching and enjoyed his new students.
"I loved watching the kids progress from knowing nothing at the beginning to bringing them on board," Bailey said. "It was good."
He then moved back to Nebraska and taught for a year in Clay Center.
He and Mary soon found Brodhead after that, 43 years ago, and moved to the home they live in today. He says it was a job opportunity, a band director position, that brought him back to Wisconsin. He was the first ever junior high band director in Brodhead, and Bailey's home was just a few blocks away.
After teaching band for three years, Bailey taught seventh-grade history and then moved on to teach social studies, a year of geography and even an English class. He was able to teach some of his own children, which was a special experience.
While teaching history, Bailey got involved in the local historical society and served as president for a while. He was involved the first year the museum opened and helped clean up. He was also active in Boy Scouts when his youngest son took an interest, starting as an assistant Cubmaster and then becoming a Cubmaster.
He says he enjoyed all that Brodhead had to offer.
"It's such a nice-sized town to live in," he said. "Not too big, not too small."
Mary spent time as a Title I teacher in Brodhead but then moved into teaching kindergarten, a job she loved and held for 16 years.
After teaching at Brodhead for 10 years, Bailey says his family stayed back while he returned to Nebraska yet again to teach. He would spend a few years working at Pick 'n Save in Monroe and then taught back in Nebraska again. Brodhead's classes were getting smaller and he was bumped out, he said. He taught music and social studies in Nebraska for five years, coming home to his family in Brodhead every six weeks.
In 1997, Bailey retired from teaching. He says he still misses his students. He worked at the Sentry Food Store in Brodhead for four years to keep busy. But that wouldn't be the end of his careers.
"I didn't know if I was ignorant, stupid or insane," Bailey said, laughing, as he soon took on another job.
He decided he missed the students enough to take on driving a school bus. Bailey says he has always loved to drive and enjoyed the children. He drove a bus route each day but also drove athletes to sporting events. He even took on a noon route for the 4K and kindergarten students.
"That was a lot of fun," he said. "I was back with the kids again."
After 15 years, he retired this past April.
Through the years, Bailey has enjoyed working in his yard and, up until this year, has always enjoyed caring for his large garden. He enjoys reading, and he and Mary love to travel. They enjoy going east to see the mountains. They have taken trips to Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and more. They also love spending time in Branson, Missouri. Bailey still loves history and always has an eye out for it during their travels.
Bailey still isn't a big fan of the cold weather and loves to visit warm places. But Brodhead is home, with family surrounding him and a few careers behind him. They also love being a part of their church, Community of Christ in Beloit.
He and Mary also enjoy spending time with their four children, who all live in the area, and their 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He and Mary will be married 55 years in August.
No matter where they're headed, he says he's still always the driver. Driving the bus was seemingly a special calling for him and something he dearly misses, along with those he would see and joke with regularly at the bus garage.
"It gave me a chance to be with the kids in a more informal setting," Bailey said. "I had some interesting times with the kids."
After going back and forth between Wisconsin and Nebraska for years, he's now enjoying life while traveling with his wife Mary and spending time with family whenever and wherever he can.
Bailey was born in southwestern Nebraska in his grandfather's farmhouse, which still stands today. He recalls the blizzard in 1949 when the snowdrifts were as high as two-story buildings. But he loved the weather otherwise, especially the Nebraska springs.
His family moved to Wausau when Bailey was in seventh grade. It was much colder in Wisconsin, but Bailey says he loved the fishing. The family farm grew over the years, and he was definitely expected to help. He remembers summers spent planting and weeding at the farm.
His father made sure they always had a jersey cow for milk and cream, since they gave the most, he said. Later on, they would milk 14 dairy cows on the 40-acre farm. During World War II, he recalls his father selling some of their cream on the black market, and he sometimes sold it directly to the store when they ran out.
He attended high school in Wausau for a year, but then went to the new DC Everest School, where he graduated in 1956. He says he was an involved student who loved school and band - playing the baritone whenever he could get away from his farm duties.
After graduation, Bailey says he knew he would go on to college for music. He earned his degree at Central State College of Stevens Point, now the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, in instrumental music with a minor in history. It was there he met Mary, who played clarinet.
He says teaching was always something he looked forward to.
"I hoped I'd make a difference in some of the kids' lives," Bailey said.
He landed his first job in Bowler, teaching band for grades 5-12. He also taught a social studies class and American government.
He says he loved teaching immediately, along with Mary, and the couple was soon married.
The temperature was below zero every day in February that winter in Bowler, and Bailey says he never liked the cold. After four years in Bowler, they decided to move to central Nebraska, hoping for warmer weather.
The job in Nebraska wasn't what he expected. The village of Elba had a population of 200 on a good day. Bailey says he taught music and band for grades K-6 for three years. But after he and Mary started a family, they moved back to Wisconsin, to Bangor, to be closer to grandparents.
Bailey taught band fulltime for six years in Bangor, and he loved the hills just east of La Crosse. He still loved teaching and enjoyed his new students.
"I loved watching the kids progress from knowing nothing at the beginning to bringing them on board," Bailey said. "It was good."
He then moved back to Nebraska and taught for a year in Clay Center.
He and Mary soon found Brodhead after that, 43 years ago, and moved to the home they live in today. He says it was a job opportunity, a band director position, that brought him back to Wisconsin. He was the first ever junior high band director in Brodhead, and Bailey's home was just a few blocks away.
After teaching band for three years, Bailey taught seventh-grade history and then moved on to teach social studies, a year of geography and even an English class. He was able to teach some of his own children, which was a special experience.
While teaching history, Bailey got involved in the local historical society and served as president for a while. He was involved the first year the museum opened and helped clean up. He was also active in Boy Scouts when his youngest son took an interest, starting as an assistant Cubmaster and then becoming a Cubmaster.
He says he enjoyed all that Brodhead had to offer.
"It's such a nice-sized town to live in," he said. "Not too big, not too small."
Mary spent time as a Title I teacher in Brodhead but then moved into teaching kindergarten, a job she loved and held for 16 years.
After teaching at Brodhead for 10 years, Bailey says his family stayed back while he returned to Nebraska yet again to teach. He would spend a few years working at Pick 'n Save in Monroe and then taught back in Nebraska again. Brodhead's classes were getting smaller and he was bumped out, he said. He taught music and social studies in Nebraska for five years, coming home to his family in Brodhead every six weeks.
In 1997, Bailey retired from teaching. He says he still misses his students. He worked at the Sentry Food Store in Brodhead for four years to keep busy. But that wouldn't be the end of his careers.
"I didn't know if I was ignorant, stupid or insane," Bailey said, laughing, as he soon took on another job.
He decided he missed the students enough to take on driving a school bus. Bailey says he has always loved to drive and enjoyed the children. He drove a bus route each day but also drove athletes to sporting events. He even took on a noon route for the 4K and kindergarten students.
"That was a lot of fun," he said. "I was back with the kids again."
After 15 years, he retired this past April.
Through the years, Bailey has enjoyed working in his yard and, up until this year, has always enjoyed caring for his large garden. He enjoys reading, and he and Mary love to travel. They enjoy going east to see the mountains. They have taken trips to Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and more. They also love spending time in Branson, Missouri. Bailey still loves history and always has an eye out for it during their travels.
Bailey still isn't a big fan of the cold weather and loves to visit warm places. But Brodhead is home, with family surrounding him and a few careers behind him. They also love being a part of their church, Community of Christ in Beloit.
He and Mary also enjoy spending time with their four children, who all live in the area, and their 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He and Mary will be married 55 years in August.
No matter where they're headed, he says he's still always the driver. Driving the bus was seemingly a special calling for him and something he dearly misses, along with those he would see and joke with regularly at the bus garage.
"It gave me a chance to be with the kids in a more informal setting," Bailey said. "I had some interesting times with the kids."