LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Mary Margaret Kelley, 82, passed away peacefully on Oct. 17, 2020, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Mary was born Oct. 26, 1937, in Rock Creek, Minnesota, to Margaret (Hejny) and Irven Johnson.

In 1949 the family moved to Tulelake, California, where much of the family still resides. They joined Irven’s brother Bert Johnson and began farming.

Mary and her sister’s thrived, riding horses and enjoying everything farm girls enjoy. Mary was the 1954 Merrill Potato Festival Queen and later a homecoming queen at OTI where she was attending college.

At OTI she met James Kelley whom she married. They settled in his hometown of Kelseyville, California, and built a wonderful life together while raising two sons, Bob and Tom.

She spent decades serving as a secretary for the Kelseyville School District.

Jim and Mary had a beautiful pool built that was always a gathering spot. Everyone was always welcome, and many wonderful and fun memories were made there. Mary did not swim, but she was always poolside. Her kitchen was open and always had a fresh potato salad and chocolate chip cookies.

She also enjoyed a road trip in her red pickup to Tulelake and Merrill in Southern Oregon to visit her sisters and their families. But if there was a cloud in the sky, she would panic that snow was coming.

Mary ran on Mary Time. She was much loved by her family, friends, community and coworkers. In her spare time, she loved her horses, her grandchildren and going to the movies.

James died in 1994. Mary also was preceded in death by her sister, LaVonne Vaughn, and her parents.

Mary is survived by her sons and their wives, Bob and Jennifer Kelley, and Tom and Julie Kelley; her sister, Arlene O’Neil, and brother-in-law, Tom O’Neil; brother-in-law, Richard Vaughn; grandson, Christopher Kelley, his wife, Amanda, and their children, Alexis and Ronan; grandson, Robert Kelley, and his wife, Jessica; granddaughter, Rachel Kelley; her nieces and spouses, Debbie and Jim Robinson, Susan and Andy Hickey, Janice and Terry Woodhouse, RichAnn and Mike Mc Master, Nancy and Tracy Lyons and Tammy and Dan Shuck, along with all their children and grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be planned as soon as circumstances safely permit.

Donations can be made to the Mary Kelley Memorial Fund at WestAmerica Bank by Dec.18, for her angel caregivers for Christmas, where she last lived.

Mary was a beautiful woman, everything a daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and friend should be, she was.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.