Etta Bailey Burgiss

Margaret Henrietta "Etta" Bailey Burgiss was the daughter of W.C. Bailey and Victoria Bailey. She was born in Pleasant Grove, S.C. (now part of Greer, S.C.) in 1866 and was the first of 6 children. Her siblings are Estelle Bailey (1869-1876), twins Edgar W. Bailey (1872-1943) and Edwin C. Bailey (1872-1944), Fannie B. Smith (1875-1929), and Victoria E. Bailey (1879-1940). We know she went to school in Greenville in the early 1880s and lived with her aunt Eliza Stone; she studied music and other subjects. She returned home to Greer, where she courted and married W. W. Burgiss. She had 4 children: Walter W. Burgiss (1889-1901), Victor Burgiss (1893-1922), Harold D. Burgiss (1898-1942), and Margaret B. Gerald (1904-1942). She served much of her life as a philanthropist in Greenville, South Carolina. She was a member of the Red Cross, DAR, Salvation Army, Shriners hospital, the Presbyterian Church, and other organizations. She was a public figure who was close to her brother Edwin and visited him often. She died in 1944 at the age of 78, and is buried in the Springwood Cemetery in Greenville, S.C.

Mrs. W. W. Burgiss was known for her charity work. [1]
She was a philanthropist President of the Salvation Army. [2]
She participated in Red Cross programs. [3]
She served on a committee providing Christmas gifts for orphans. [4]
She was on the board of a girls' protective bureau. [5]
She worked to establish a home for elderly women. [6]
She was a member of the DAR (membership number 169573) and a historian. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
She was an active member in the Presbyterian Church. [12] [13]
While her husband was widely recognized for building the Shriners Children's Hospital, Etta oversaw much of the construction. [14]
She owned and drove a car very early in the 1920s. [15]
She hosted the S.C. governor and his wife. [16]