Lawrence O'dell Kelley

Funeral services for Lawrence O"dell Kelley, 93 of Big Sandy will be held Sunday, 2:00 P.M, November 23, 2014, at Croley Funeral Home Chapel in Gladewater with Reverend Richard Laster officiating. Burial will follow at Locust Grove Cemetery in Upshur County, Texas. The family will have visitation from 1:00 until service time at the funeral home. Lawrence O"dell Kelley, age 93, born November 5th, 1921, in Big Sandy, Texas to Arthur Burlington and Sue Ann Sasser Kelly. He passed away peacefully on November 20, 2014 at Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview. During WWII, he served in the Army where he was assigned to the medical corps as construction foreman, and saw service in New Guinea ant the Southern Philippines where he attained the rank of Sergeant. Mr. Kelley married Lorene Crouch on March 9, 1946, and she preceded him in heath in 1992. He was a carpenter by trade and well versed in many construction skills. Mr. Kelley retired from Good Shepherd Hospital in 1983, where he was head maintenance engineer for twenty years. He is survived by his five children and their spouses, Connie and Wayne Granger of Gladewater, Larry and Margaret Kelley of Big Sandy, Carolyn and Tim Marshall of Gilmer, Christine and David Galbraith of Big Sandy, and Lisa and Barry Thomas of Beckville; brother, Max Kelly and his wife, Monnie of Gladewater. He is also survived by seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Lawrence and Lorene love to fish and after his retirement they spent much of their time fishing on area lakes. We would like to think that they are not gone, but they have just gone fishing.