Mary E. Bailey (1845-1936) was born in New York, New York, and died in Peoria, Illinois. She became interested in Christian Science in 1886 and wrote to Mary Baker Eddy, purchasing a copy of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Later, Bailey moved to Chicago, Illinois, and studied Christian Science with Bradford Sherman, a student of Mary Baker Eddy's. Bailey practiced Christian Science briefly in Chicago before returning to Peoria, where she was listed in the directory of The Christian Science Journal from 1890 until 1920. She joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, in July 1893, and was a member until her passing.

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