Joy Maxine (Nelson) Kelly

Joy Maxine Kelly, age 84 of Elkhart went to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, Aug. 19, 2019.  Maxine was born February 28, 1935 in Hickman Arkansas to the late David and Pearl (Hamm) Nelson.  On December 27, 1963 she married John Kelly. John preceded her in death passing away in January of 1997.

Surviving are her sons Mike Kelly of Osceola and Tim Kelly of Elkhart.  She is also survived by her step-children Darla Smith of Elkhart and Johnny Kelly of Surprise, Arizona.  Surviving as well are 12 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, along with her siblings LouAnn (Tom) Wage of Blytheville, Arkansas, Freddie Nelson of Black Oak, Arkansas, and Jackie Paul of Florida.  She was preceded in death by her siblings Richard and Charles Nelson, Irene Zercher, Virginia Jarvi and Shirley Nelson.

Visitation will be held from 5-8 pm Thursday, August 22, 2019 at Cruz Family Funeral Home in Osceola.  There will also be one hour of viewing prior to the 11 am funeral service on Friday, August 23, 2019 at Bethany Missionary Church, 56295 CR 1, Elkhart, IN 46516.  Maxine will be cremated and laid to rest privately at a later time.

To livestream Maxine's funeral service, please follow the link provided to Bethany Missionary Church's facebook live page.  The service will be broadcast live at 11:00 am Friday, August 23, 2019.   To view the live feed, click on the VIDEOS tab (fourth tab under "Home) on the left side of the page.
https://www.facebook.com/BethanyMissionaryChurch

Maxine was employed as a cook at Harley Holben Elementary School in Elkhart for over 20 years.  She was also employed for many years with Kelly Auto Sales in Elkhart.  In her retirement, she loved to travel, especially to Florida and Hawaii to spend time on the beaches, reading and gardening.  Her love for gardening was passed down to her grandchildren as she spent time with them and guided them through their 4H gardening projects for many years.

Most of all, Maxine loved the Lord with all her heart.  She was a member of Bethany Missionary Church for over 54 years and was part of the Red Hat Club at the church.

In her memory, donations may be made to Bethany Missionary Church. Online condolences may be sent to the Kelly family by following the links provided on the "Tribute Wall" tab above.