Ola Eugenia (Jean) Kelly

Ola Eugenia (Jean) Moore Kelly, widow of the late Thomas H. Kelly, Sr., formerly of 117 Fant Lane Union, South Carolina, passed away after an extended illness at the Martha Franks Retirement Center in Laurens, SC.

Mrs. Kelly was born February 27, 1938 to the late Charles Lee Moore, Sr. and Inez Foster Moore on Francis Street in the Monarch community. When she was in her adolescence, her family moved to the Brown's Creek Community to care for her aging grandparents.

Mrs. Kelly was a 1956 graduate of Union High School as well as 1984 graduate of USC-Union. She also attended USC-Spartanburg. While a senior in high school, she started a career in banking with Arthur State Bank. She was hired by one of the bank's founders General Harry M. Arthur, who affectionately called her "Little Chicken." She had a distinguished career in banking advancing to the position of Vice-President & Comptroller until her retirement in December 1996. She also was president of Bank Women International for many years.

After her retirement, she worked for the Union County Historical Society where she specialized in genealogical research and historical re-enactments at Rose Hill Plantation and the Cross Keys House. She also helped establish the Union County Museum on Main Street, Union.

Mrs. Kelly was a devoted Christian as well as an accomplished church organist. She started playing the organ for church services at Brown's Creek Baptist Church as a teenager. After her marriage to Thomas Kelly, she became church organist for the Carlisle Baptist Church until she moved to Union in April 1993.

She was an active member of Mon-Aetna Baptist Church where she sang in the choir as long as her health permitted. Since January 2020, she has been a resident of Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Center.

Mrs. Kelly was preceded in death by her husband, parents, siblings Essie Lee Wiliford (George), Lillie Mae O'Shields (Leonard), Rev. Charles Lee Moore, Jr. (Margaret), and Edward Judson Moore (Hazel).

She is survived by two sons, Rev. Dr. Thomas H. Kelly, Jr. (Phyllis) of Varnville, SC and Charles Irvin Kelly (Lisbeth) of Carlisle; three grandchildren, Rebekah Adams Kelly (Ashton Blocker), Harrison Lee Kelly, and Anna Kelly Heatherly (Cole); one great granddaughter Ryleigh Kelly.; and one brother, William Earl (Bill) Moore (Anita). Several nieces, nephews and cousins have remained exceptionally close to Mrs. Kelly throughout her life.

A celebration of life will be held at Mon-Aetna Baptist Church at 11 am on Saturday, August 14, 2021, officiated by the Rev. Chris Gulledge, the Rev. Dr. Thomas H. Kelly, Jr. and Mr. Scott Sherbert. A service of committal will immediately follow at the Kelly's Chapel Cemetery in Carlisle, SC. The family will receive friends in the church sanctuary the day of the service from 9:30 to 10:45 as well as immediately following the service of committal.

Active pallbearers will be Harrison Kelly, Cole Heatherly, Ashton Blocker, Trey Stevenson, Stacey Jones, and Mark Cathcart.

The family would like to extend a sincere thanks to Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Center and Lutheran Hospice for their care extended to our mother during Mrs. Ola's nursing home care.

In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to Mon-Aetna Baptist Church, P O Box 72, Union, SC 29379 or the Union County Historical Society, 127 West Main Street, Union, South Carolina 29379 or Martha Frank Retirement Community, 1 Martha Franks Drive, Laurens, South Carolina 29360.