Obituary of Mary Margaret Kelley

Mary was born October 26, 1937 in Rock Creek Minnesota to Margaret (Hejny) and Irven Johnson. In 1949 the family moved to Tulelake to join Irven’s brother Bert Johnson and began farming. Mary and her sister’s thrived, riding horses and enjoying everything farm girls enjoy. Mary was the 1954 Merrill Potato Festival Queen and later a Homecoming Queen at OTI where she was attending college. At OTI she met James Kelley whom she married. They settled in his hometown of Kelseyville California and built a wonderful life together while raising two sons, Bob and Tom. She spent decades as the secretary for the Kelseyville School District. Jim and Mary had a beautiful pool built that was always a gathering spot. Everyone was always welcome, and many wonderful and fun memories were made there. Mary did not swim, but she was always pool side. Her kitchen was open and always had a fresh potato salad and chocolate chip cookies. She also enjoyed a road trip in her red pick up to Tulelake and Merrill to visit her sisters and their families. But if there was a cloud in the sky, she would panic that snow was coming. Mary ran on Mary Time. She was much loved by her family, friends, community and coworkers. In her spare time, she loved her horses, her grandchildren and going to the movies. Mary was preceded in death by her husband Jim and her sister LaVonne Vaughn and her parents. She survived by her sons and their wives, Bob and Jennifer Kelley, Tom and Julie Kelley. Her sister and brother-in-law Arlene and Tommy O’Neil and brother-in-law Richard Vaughn. Her grandsons and wives, Christopher and Amanda Kelley and their children Alexis and Ronan and Robert and Jessica Kelley and her granddaughter Rachel Kelley. She also leaves her nieces and spouses, Debbie and Jim Robinson, Susan and Andy Hickey, Janice and Terry Woodhouse, RichAnn and Mike Mc Master, Nancy and Tracy Lyons and Tammy and Dan Shuck along with all their children and grandchildren. A celebration of life will be planned as soon as circumstances safely permit. Donations can be made to The Mary Kelley Memorial Fund at WestAmerica Bank by December 18 for her Angel Caregivers for Christmas, where she last lived. Mary was a beautiful woman, everything a daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and friend should be, she was.