Obituary for Jerrian G.Kelly

It is with great sorrow, yet also a deep sense of peace that we announce the passing of our beautiful mother Jerrian Iva Gelbert Kelly, on May 6, 2023.

Truly one-of-a-kind, right through her last moments in hospice care at her final home in Golden Meadows, our mom Jerri brought much joy to all who have been blessed to know her.

Born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on September 22, 1935 as the first-born child to Mabel Grace Hafer Gelbert and Charles Magnus Ott Gelbert, "Jerri" quickly became known for her spunk and liveliness. Since her father Charley was a professional baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals), in her earliest years Jerri often traveled with her parents to Charley's out of town games. Little Jerri was joyful and engaging – a bit of a mascot for the team - and the ball players often talked to her and played games with her. One infamously cute story about mom Jerri took place in a hotel lobby:

Little Jerri - perhaps 4-5 years old - was suddenly nowhere to be found in the hotel room or hallway... Just as her mother Mabel began to panic, she heard some singing and clapping from the lobby, then discovered that Little Jerri was performing a cheerful song and dance for the baseball players as they arrived to check in - complete with a hat (her father's?) set out for collecting tips! It is easy to imagine her bright light shining, even then.

Jerri spent her young years as a somewhat reluctant, but lovingly bossy older sister to brother Danny and sister Patty, in a beautiful neighborhood in Easton, PA. The house at the end of Wayne Avenue is still iconic in all of our minds, as our Gram (Mabel) lived there until she died in 1985. (Personal anecdote: I loved visiting there with my siblings, playing in the soft, soft grass, writing stories while sitting on the tremendous porch, and imagining my mom as a young girl there, with her own siblings).

Mom said that in the days after moving to Easton from Oklahoma, she struggled to fit in, since she dressed in jeans and seemed to be " a country bumpkin." But then in her years at Easton Area High School, Teen Jerri overcame her insecurities enough to try out for and become a cheerleader and an excellent student.

Jerrian attended college at Gettysburg College, where she earned her BA degree in Education. It was a fateful night the evening she met our father, Richard George Kelly - another infamous story!  As a dashing and devilishly handsome young working man, Dad's boss told him he needed to "meet a nice girl and settle down," then gave him the address to his own home, where our mom Jerri was babysitting. According to Mom, she heard the rumble of a convertible sports car, then the doorbell. With no time to fix her face or smooth her bobby socks, she opened the door, and with her tiny but mighty fist lifted, she squinted her eyes and said "If you're Richard Kelly I'm gonna kill you!"

And the rest is history...

Jerri married Richard in June of 1956, began a family in 1960, and lived in many places - namely Macungie PA, Palmerton PA, Burlington IA, and finally Denton Texas, while raising us five Kelly Kids. She and Dad took us to church regularly when we were young, and we have lots of funny stories about being the local "family Von Trapp," singing and playing instruments as a family, especially in Burlington at the First Congregational Church. Education was very important to both parents, but our mom sometimes let us miss a day of school to attend an all-day workshop at the museum, to learn about Egypt or Pompeii when the exhibitions came to Dallas.

Jerri excelled at working with young children, starting Early Childhood Education and/or Nursery School Programs in several townships. Her funny wit and knowledge of scores of nursery rhymes and songs remained a special theme in her life, as she spent time in her retirement writing a collection of what she called "Peep Diddles," for future sharing. In her later working years, Mom worked for the State of Texas in Early Child Intervention, helping many families identify and handle challenging issues.

Our Mom loved gardening and had the greenest thumb - transforming any lonely space (large or small) with all the colors imaginable, but especially yellows - sunflowers, marigolds, daffodils. Additionally, our mom was quite an athlete, especially excelling in tennis and golf, and even winning the Ladies Golf Tournament at the Denton Country Club for three years in a row. I liked to tease her by calling her the original "Sporty Spice."

Our Mom Jerri was both traditional and unconventional, and though she did teach us things like setting a beautiful Thanksgiving table, and how to use proper manners and make eye-contact, she will always be known for teaching us so much more…

The love for nature and the outdoors; a longing for the ocean; how to bodysurf like a pro; how to magically remove sand from our sticky limbs (baby powder trick); to revel in finding the most interesting rocks and shells; how to make a terrarium; how to crack open a geode; to notice the different colors and texture of moss; to wrap a gift properly; to save a turtle, or rescue a lost animal; to plant a seed; to bait a hook (though Brian still will not touch a worm!); to craft acorns into cute little owls; to bask in the sunshine like a true Coppertone Queen; to always search for the Wonder… so, so much more…

Just ask a Kelly to sing "It's a Small World," or "I See the Moon," and you will see – we remember.

In every home, in every place she lived, our mom Jerri – Grandma Peep - had a gift for magically transforming any place into her HOME, and always welcomed all people with open arms. And now she is in her Heavenly Home, rocking all the babies and singing all the songs... dancing anew with our dad Richard George, and with her parents and her brother, whom I know welcomed her home. Jerrian is survived by her sister Patricia Vohs, who lives in Pennsylvania, and her sister-in-law Robin Gelbert, in Virginia.

Jerri will be forever loved and remembered by her children: Brian Lloyd Kelly, Timothy Paul Kelly, Jean Helen Kelly Falvey (John), Amanda Grace - aka

"Amy" Kelly Stanley (Danney), and Rebecca Ruth Kelly Boardman (Morry).

Sharing in love and grief are Peep's grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Shannon Taylor (husband Chris, daughter Geneva Wren), Darby McFall (husband Wes, son Beckham Roth, daughters Meira Joy and Elora Grace), Sean Kelly (wife Riley, daughter Quinn Ruth, sons Archer Lewis and Callum Reign), Hannah Grace Stanley, Jackson Ryan Stanley (fiancé Isabelle), William Magnus Boardman, Madison Anne Boardman, Lyra Manaye Kelly, and Liam Paul Falvey.

Our family would also like to send our deepest thanks and acknowledgment to all the caregivers at Golden Meadows in Denton – Mom's final home, where her care was above and beyond our hopes and prayers.

Join us for a Celebration of Life

Little Chapel in the Woods

(TWU Campus)

Sunday June 4, 2023

11:00 am - 1:00 pm

In lieu of flowers, we ask that a donation be made to the Alzheimer's Association, in her name

Act.alz.org