Rex J Kelly

Mass of Christian Burial Services for Rex J. Kelly will be conducted from the All Saints Catholic Church in Holdrege, Nebraska on Monday, March 17, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. with Father Thomas Lux, officiating. Rosary will be held prior to the Mass at 9:00 a.m. at the church. Interment will be in the Exeter Cemetery at Exeter, Nebraska at 2:30 p.m.

Rex James Kelly, 80 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at the Holdrege Memorial Homes. Rex was born July 22, 1927 to James P. and Stella M. (Becker) Kelly in the Sullivan home near Exeter, Nebraska. He was baptized and confirmed in St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Exeter. He graduated from Exeter High School in 1945 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was unable to serve his country when he was severely injured in a farm accident. In 1946, Rex enrolled in Kearney State Teachers College where he was an active member of the Caledonian Fraternity, president of his senior class and graduated with his BA in Education in 1950. During the summers of his college years, Rex traveled with a combine crew from Oklahoma to South Dakota. His first job out of college was as a Junior Engineer for the Nebraska Highway Department in Lincoln, Nebraska.

While at college, Rex met Shirley A. Church of Clarks, Nebraska. They were united in marriage at the St. Michael's Catholic Church in Central City, Nebraska on July 14, 1951. The couple made their home in Omaha, Nebraska, where Rex was employed by the Douglas County Health Department. In 1952, Rex and Shirley moved to Kearney, where he began work as an inspector for the City of Kearney.

Rex's career in healthcare started in 1955 when he was hired by Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. In 1959 he became Good Samaritan's Assistant Administrator. He served in that capacity until 1967 when he accepted the Administrators position for the new Phelps County Memorial Health Center in Holdrege. He played the key leadership role in the planning and development of the new hospital. Rex was administrator until he retired in 1992. During his healthcare career, Rex served on boards and committees for the Midwest Health Congress, Nebraska Hospital Association, Nebraska Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Central Nebraska Emergency Medical Services, Regional Hospital Advisory Committee of the American Red Cross, Kearney Area Health Services Administration, Central Nebraska Community Health Education, Holdrege Planning Commission, Nebraska State Board of Health, and the American Hospital Association Council for small rural hospitals.

He was also recognized for his leadership in health care when he was presented the Award of Professional Excellence by the American College of Health Care Executives, and the Caring Kind "Employee of the Year" award presented by the Nebraska Hospital Association. Rex also served as President of the Nebraska Hospital Association in 1974 and of the Holdrege Rotary Club in 1979.

Rex was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was active in All Saints Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and loved hunting, fishing, horses and rodeos. He also loved being around people.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Shirley of Holdrege; four sons: Thomas E. Kelly and his wife, Arlene of Atlanta, NE, James P. Kelly and his wife, Meg of LaGrange, IN, John T. Kelly and his wife, Linda of Westlake, OH and Daniel J. Kelly of Nebraska City, NE; one daughter, LouAnn Lowe and her husband, Steve of Kearney; nine grandchildren: Katherine (Kelly) Stewart of Holdrege, Mary Ann Kelly of Atlanta, Stephen and Kelly Lowe of Kearney, Samantha Kelly of North Platte, Elizabeth, Benjamin and William Kelly of LaGrange, IN, and Megan Kelly of Westlake, OH. He is also survived by three sisters: Marion Geiger of Exeter, Colleen Blessing and Kathleen Rupert both of Lincoln, NE; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Rex was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Dennis Patrick Kelly; two grandchildren; two sisters and four brothers.

Visitation will be on Sunday, March 16, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

Memorials are suggested to All Saints Catholic Church or the charity of your choice.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.

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TRIBUTE TO A
NEBRASKA FARM BOY

James "Rex" Kelly was buried, at His Home - Exeter, Nebraska - on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2008, after laboring in fields away, for some years. The Bells of St. Stephen's rang out a "Welcome Home" of 80 chimes – one for each year of his life – when the funeral coach carrying his body stopped in front of the Church His Family helped build, in a Parish His Family helped start, in a building where His Mother was the first to be baptized, when it was new, in 1903; enroute to the cemetery northeast of town, which is surrounded on all sides by the same fertile Fillmore County farmground His Family has farmed in the area for so many years. "Rex" Kelly was laid to rest in a plot next to His Great Grandpa and Grandma Mr. And Mrs. Patrick Kelly, of County Leitrim Ireland, who homesteaded a farm, in Fillmore County Nebraska, southeast of Exeter, in 1871. His Grandpa Dennis Kelly farmed the homestead before buying his own farm, nearer to Exeter, at the time he married Katherine Sullivan, in April 1890, at Exeter – the same farm where Rex grew to young manhood helping His Father, James P. Kelly farm with horses. This place is still owned and farmed by other family members and has received the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Family Award. Native Grass picked from the crick at the farm, after Rex died, by his Granddaughter, Mary Ann Kelly, Sister, Marion and oldest Son became part of a Special Funeral Tribute, that included baling wire – every farmer's repair friend, and a piece of an American Flag.

James "Rex" Kelly was born, at Exeter, in 1927, in His Great Grandpa Tim Sullivan's House. The Sullivan Family came to a farm southeast of Exeter in 1878. Rex's Grandpa J. N. "Stumpy" Becker was born in a sodhouse, on a farm in Dakota Territory, in about 1875 and also farmed south of Exeter; where an Irishman learned German from his Mother's Family and where Rex spent a lot of time when growing up. His Great Grandpa John Becker farmed northwest of Exeter – his Great Grandpa Henry Jansen, of Essen Germany, also farmed north of Exeter, not far from the cemetery and is buried only steps, to the west, of where Rex was laid to rest. Rex Kelly's Grandpa Kelly, who still rode his saddlehorse, Grace, to Church, from the Farm, when he was in his 70's, told him, "If you take care of the Land, the Land will take care of you."

Our Grace's filly colt died out in the pasture, at birth, April 9th – I named her STELLA KATHERINE after Your Mom and Grandma Kelly – She's Yours – We hope she finds her way to You.

James "Rex" Kelly was baptized in St. Stephen's Catholic Church, where some of his Grandchildren were also baptized and attended St. Stephen's School and country school in a one room schoolhouse. Rex graduated from Exeter High School, in 1945; where he was quarterback of a 6 man football team, at 120 pounds. He was sworn into the U.S. Navy after graduation and a farm auger accident putting up feed shortly thereafter, ended his participation in the American effort to bring an end to World War II. His Brother and Friend, Edward Dennis Kelly, went on to serve in the Navy during the Korean War off the coasts of Korea, China and Japan on the Aircraft Carrier USS Kearsarge, which had been newly fitted at the time for jet aircraft. Rex's schoolmate and friend Bill Lief "threw the belt" that stopped the machinery the day of the farm accident – Bill Lief died in a farm accident last year helping get ready for spring fieldwork when he was caught in a power takeoff at age 79. In later life, Rex overhauled and restored a 1936 "B" John Deere Tractor and completely restored to mint condition a Model "A" Ford Sedan.

Rex Kelly never forgot the Farm Boy that he was and that culture shaped him and everything he did and said. After losing his leg, he farmed and he traveled from Texas to Canada with Kelly/Becker Cousin's custom combining wheat. He joked that he "broke his wooden leg jumping off a truckload of wheat." Rex later worked in the Omaha Stockyards, at the Swift Meatpacking Plant, at the time Omaha was edging out Chicago, as the largest Livestock Market of its kind, in the World; having married a Nebraska Ranch and Farm Girl, Shirley Ann Church, at Central City, which was home to Rancher and Pioneer Cattle Feeder T. B. Hord. Rex and His Family lived many years in Kearney, Nebraska, where he raised registered Appaloosa Horses, renting pastures from Kearney to Elm Creek. The family kept horses where the Best Western Motel and Sydney's Restaurant now stands and Rex was once faced with riding a broncy gelding after his "wooden leg" came loose in his pants as he mounted the green horse; which bucked him off in front of his quietly gleeful children.

When Rex Kelly moved his Family to Holdrege, in 1967, he purchased a 27 acre pasture, near the fairgrounds, and continued raising Appaloosa Horses. He was a member of the Holdrege Sodbuster's Saddle Club and a past president of the club and for several years brought a nationally point sanctioned Appaloosa Horse Show to the Phelps County Fairgrounds. One of his mares won a ribbon in halter class at the Nebraska State Fair. Rex Kelly was proud of his 1967 Nebraska Centennial Resistol Cowboy Hat and had a pair of Justin Cowboy Boots specially altered to work with his "wooden leg."

Rex J. Kelly was also a hospital administrator and oversaw the first major expansion, to the north, of the 1920's Good Samaritan Building, in Kearney, with the Franciscan Sisters, who presented him with a new saddle in appreciation of his work, when he left Kearney. In the early 1960's, at the time of that first expansion, Rex and Missouri contractor Russ Evans built 2 horse trailers in the basement of the new hospital addition as it was being built and his oldest son helped as much as a little boy can – this Son is the only Family Member still involved in agriculture and has his own ranch, with his Family - The Cocklebur, to The West of Holdrege, at Rock Falls, Nebraska. Remembering the Loup City Horse Sales, may the Soul of James "Rex" Kelly Rest in Peace in the Farmground he loved.

With Respect and Love

Your Son

Thomas Edward Kelly