Walter Kelley

DUE TO FEDERAL AND STATE GUIDANCE ON GATHERINGS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MASKS ARE RECOMMENDED AT THE VISITATION.

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IN LIEU OF FLOWERS MEMORIALS MAY BE GIVEN TO THE WOODBINE FIRE AND RESCUE

Walter William Kelley was born on July 21, 1924 to Thomas William and Luella Ester (Park) Kelley on a farm west of Panama, Iowa.  He was the second of seven children. He grew up on the farm and attended school through the 8th grade.  After that, he was needed to work on the farm. At the age of 19, he was drafted into the Army and was sent to the European Front during World War II.  When he finished serving his country, he returned home to farm.  Walter married Edna Thiles on March 14,1947.  To this union four children were born - Linda, Margaret, Patricia and Warren. Edna passed away May 23, 1953.

Walter married Doris (Thoms) Mullenix on February 27, 1955 and this union added another child, Dalene, to the family.  The family was complete when Craig was born in 1956.  Walter and Doris farmed and made their first home in rural Woodbine, then Persia and returned to the Kelley family farm in 1962.  He retired and moved to Woodbine in the spring of 1991.

Walter grew up knowing how to work hard. Being a no nonsense kind of person, he said he preferred tractors to horses. He purchased his first of many combines to make harvest faster and easier.

Walter faced a cancer diagnosis and back surgery in the same year.  Even with these, he continued to keep pace with the farming.

Before his eyesight failed, he was always reading farm and news magazines along with the normal repair manuals to keep the equipment running.

Walter lived by himself after Doris died until he broke his back and moved to Rose Vista in March 2017.

After surviving COVID-19, Walter died Sunday, October 11, 2020 at Rose Vista Nursing Home at the age of 96 years, 2 months and 19 days.

He was preceded in death by his wives, Edna and Doris; his parents; son, Warren Kelley; son-in-law, David Clark; three siblings, Opal (Oren) Toxword, Earl (Claire) Kelley, Alvin (Dorothy) Kelley; sister-in law, Janice Kelley and brother-in-law, Robert Schraeder.  He is survived by his children Linda (Larry) Ramsey, Margaret Kelley, Patricia Kelley, Dalene Clark and Craig Kelley; siblings Donald Kelley, George (Imy) Kelley and Lois Schraeder; 9 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; 7 great-great-grandchildren;  many other relatives and friends.