Lois Kelly

Lois was born on July 23, 1931, in Weatherford, OK and went to be with her Lord on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. She grew up in Sharyland, Texas and was salutatorian of her high school class (her twin sister Loeen was valedictorian). Lois always said she was the outdoors girl and Loeen was the indoors girl. She would tell people she was the older twin by five minutes. She attended Baylor University, met Walter M. Kelly and got her teaching degree. She taught third grade in Fort Worth, Texas and married Walter on May 27, 1955, in Fort Worth. They lived in Waco while he finished law school and moved to McAllen, Texas where she lived for 60 years before moving to Hermitage, Tennessee in August 2016 to be near her daughter, Becky Riney and family.
Lois was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen and taught kindergarten at the church from 1963 to 1998. She loved that she was able to teach so many children how to read, read them Bible stories, sang and played games. She was able to walk to work and church from her nearby home. She was also part of the church choir as an alto and also part of the handbell choir. She was a member of the McAllen Child Study Club and the Reviewers Guild book club. She enjoyed being outdoors including frequent family trips to the hill country and the beach. She was competitive and loved to play games including Texas 42 (dominoes) and ping pong (which often resulted in serious laughing spells). She was adventurous and active well into her years.
She loved her Lord and her family and was generous and loyal. She loved to laugh and was always doing for others. She made many casseroles and cinnamon rolls. She loved nature, especially trees and clouds. She was a hard worker and went through life with faith and courage. She took pride in her twin sister and being the mother of two girls and two boys.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel D. and Helen E. Bushman, brother Gene Bushman, sister Loeen Bushman, husband Walter Kelly, and daughter Linda Kelly. She is survived by her daughter, Becky Riney (Jim), her son Tom Kelly (Jay), and her son Kevin Kelly (Robbin). She has eleven grandchildren (Heather Riney, Julie Riney, Drew Riney, Kathryn Dubal, Courtney Fields, Crystal Johnson, Josh Kelly, Ben Kelly, Daniel Kelly, Jake Kelly, and Matthew Kelly. She also has eight great-grandchildren: Jaxon Riney, Kinsley Johnson, Kambry Johnson, Kollins Johnson, Carter Fields, Zoey Fields, Jaxon Gonzales and Paisley Kelly.
There will be two Celebration of Life services. The first will be at McKendree Village Chapel in Hermitage, Tennessee on Sunday, September 18, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. The second will be at Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, Texas on October 1, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. after visitation at 10:00 a.m. Memorial contributions can be made to Calvary Baptist Church via its website - www.calvarymcallen.org/give or to plant trees in her memory at https://www.alivingtribute.org or wherever you like.