Obituary of Lu Annette Kelley

                                             Lu Annette Kelley

Lu was born June 9, 1927 in Gadsden, AL, to the late Clayton Minshew & Daisy Corbett.  She grew up in AL & NC, but especially cherished her younger years growing up on the farm outside Gadsden with her Aunt Mae & cousins.  In 1944, Lu married Albert Graham, who passed away in 1953. Al was an accomplished drummer and band leader, and they traveled the country, including an extended time in AK.

After Al’s death, Lu settled in Riverside, CA. There she met Robert Kelley; they married in 1956 and had two sons. They later moved to Charlotte, NC, then to Colfax, NC. Lu’s last place of residence was at Mallard Ridge Assisted Living in Clemmons, NC, where she received loving care. Robert preceded her in death in 2017.

As an adult, Lu studied & received her GED.  Although she was successful in many occupations, she truly enjoyed her bookkeeping work at Teague Bookkeeping & in the Riverside County Road Department. 

During her lifetime, Lu was a member of All Saints Episcopal & St George’s Episcopal Churches in Riverside, CA; University City UMC in Charlotte, NC & Bunker Hill UMC in Kernersville, NC. She was a devout Christian & a devoted wife, mother, grandmother & great-grandmother. All who knew her will miss her sweet smile.

Lu passed away at the home of her son, Steven and his wife, in Roanoke, VA on May 14, 2019 at the age of 91.

Lu is survived by her two sons, David Kelley (Sheryl) of Lexington, NC & Steven Kelley (Lorita) of Roanoke, VA; her four grandchildren Emily McKenica (Ryan) of Herndon, VA, Bryan Kelley (Nicole) of Huntersville, NC, Christine Saunders (Christopher) of Roanoke, VA & Scott Kelley (Brenda) of Corpus Christi, TX; and her seven great-grandchildren Gabrielle & Bethany McKenica, Jack & Chase Kelley, Hayden & Riley Saunders, and Emersyn Kelley.

A memorial service to celebrate Lu’s life will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, May 26, at Bunker Hill UMC, 1510 Bunker Hill-Sandy Ridge Rd, Kernersville, NC, with Rev. David Rorie officiating. A family interment will be held at the National Cemetery in Salisbury, NC at a later date. Memorial gifts are encouraged to Bunker Hill UMC, or Shiloh UMC in Lexington, NC.

The family expresses thanks to Rev. David Rorie & all of mom’s friends at Bunker Hill UMC; our church families at Shiloh UMC and St. John Lutheran Church in Roanoke, VA for all of their care & prayers; the staff of Mallard Ridge; & the staffs of Medi-Home Hospice & Simpson Funeral Home.