Kenneth Hayward Kelly (CW3, Retired, U. S. Army), a resident of Midland City, died Thursday night, March 25, 2021, at his home. He was 71.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, April 2, 2021, in the Mt. Enon Baptist Church with Reverend Colt Hudson and Reverend Guy Causey officiating and a eulogy to be given by Larry Boggs. Graveside services, with full military honors, will follow in the church cemetery.
Holman-Headland Mortuary and Cremations is in charge of arrangements. The family will receive friends from 10:00 until 11:00 A.M. Friday in the church sanctuary.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to the Mt. Enon Baptist Church, c/o Lomax Kelly, 232 County Road 530, Midland City, AL 36350.
Mr. Kelly was born and reared in Dale County, near Midland City, son of the late Roy Arthur Kelly and Mary Aline Yeomans Kelly. He was a 1968 graduate of Dale County High School. Mr. Kelly enlisted the U.S. Army in 1969. He served two tours in Vietnam, the first tour in the 101st Airborne Division and the second tour in the 1st Cavalry Division.
He also served in Desert Storm in the 101st Airborne Division as a test pilot. Mr. Kelly retired from the Army in 1994 with rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3 after twenty-five years service. He lived in Dover, Tennessee before moving to Dale County, between Midland City and Echo, in 2009.
After retiring from the military, Mr. Kelly received a B. S. Degree in Art from Austin Peay University in Clarksville, Tennessee. He was a member of the Mt Enon Baptist Church where he served on the building committee. Mr. Kelly was preceded in death by a sister, Johnnie Gospodor and a brother, Billy Yeomans.
Surviving relatives include his wife, Mary Crouthamel Kelly; two sons, Aaron Kelly (Irene), Korea; and Dain Kelly (Michelle), Chipley, FL; two step-daughters, Michelle Kerr (Randy), New York, New York, and Julie Spivey (Tim), Navarre, FL; two sisters, Lois Mitchell, Midland City; and Carolyn Bottoms (Randall), Napier Field; a brother, Lomax Kelly (Annette), Midland City; four grandchildren, Sophie Kelly, Kyle Kelly, Bristol Kelly and Josey Kelly; four step-grandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren.
Members of the Warlords (101st Airborne Division) will serve as active pallbearers.
