Stone Gardens: Craig County cemetery plot represents beginning of the tale of a senseless 1931 ending

In a quiet row of family members with the same last name, the gravesite of a frozen-in-time nineteen year-old women in a Craig County cemetery is the ending spot that begins a tale of youthful jealousy, miscommunication, and ultimate tragedy from 1931.

On December 16, 1931, just six days after her wedding, Louise Bailey Penngelly, a 19-year-old bride, was fatally shot by her husband, Sam Penngelly, in a murder-suicide that shocked both Houston, Texas, and her hometown of Vinita, Oklahoma.

Tension had been mounting between the couple since the previous night when a disagreement over attending a dance led to emotional strain. The following day, Sam visited the Bailey residence, where Louise had returned after the argument. As he prepared to leave, he urged her to walk to the door with him. Louise complied, standing and moving toward the entrance.

Mrs. Stella Buchanan Bailey, her mother, recounted the horrifying sequence of events.

As the door swung open, blocking her view of the couple, two gunshots rang out.

Louise screamed and stumbled toward the front porch. Then, a third shot was fired. Rushing to the door, Mrs. Bailey found Sam collapsed on the floor in the hallway.

Turning to the porch, she discovered Louise lying motionless. In her final moments, Louise uttered, "Goodbye—Mamma." Her mother held her in her arms until she passed.

Mrs Bailey later told officials at the coroner's office inquest that Sam had been "possessive, almost to the point of obsession", with Louise and that she had advised her daughter not to marry him when the couple approached her about the issue.

They eloped less than a week later.

Louise, a promising young woman, had recently graduated high school and attended the Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha. Her family had deep regional ties, as she was the maternal granddaughter of Belden Buchanan of Vinita.

Her funeral at the Vinita Baptist Church brought together grieving family, friends, and classmates to honor her tragically short life.

Her husband, Samuel “Sam” Pengelly, was born in August 1910 in Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico, to William Pengelly, an Englishman, and Soledad Pasten, originally from Mexico.

Raised in a family with strong international ties, Sam later became a member of the Headquarters Troop, 56th Cavalry Brigade, Texas National Guard. His military affiliation shaped much of his adult life.

Louise’s father, Walter Bailey, had passed away in 1913 under tragic circumstances.

After moving to Vinita that same year, he stopped in Sapulpa for lunch during a business trip.

His son, William W. "Bill" Bailey--an attorney in Vinita--happened to be in court there that day.

While dining, Walter n Sr. suffered a sudden heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Despite his son being called to his side, Walter passed away around 1:00 PM without regaining consciousness.

He had served eight years as a state representative from Craig County, one year as undersheriff, and was working as a road machinery salesman at the time of his death.

By the time of Louise’s death, her mother Stella Buchanan Bailey had relocated to Houston, Texas.

Fairview Cemetery in Vinita, serves as a resting place for thirty-seven members of the Bailey family, reflecting their deep-rooted presence in the region. The cemetery holds numerous Bailey family members spanning decades, reinforcing their lasting legacy in Craig County.

Louise herself was laid to rest there, where she lies in repose alongside her parents, ensuring that her memory remains woven into the historical fabric of her hometown.