Donna G. Kelling, 80, passed away Sunday, October 9, 2016 at Smith County Memorial Hospital - Long Term Care, Smith Center, KS.
She was born October 16, 1935 in Rexford, KS, the daughter of Earnest Eugene and Faye (Jones) Miller. On February 12, 1954 she married Jake Kelling in Kensington, KS, to this union they were blessed with three children, Theresa, Mike and Dawn. Donna and Jake were able to celebrate 62 years of marriage together this past February.
Jake and Donna made Smith Center their home and never left. Donna embraced small town living by being an active part of the community. She spent her time working as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell, creating curtains and cushions for Excel campers, and teaching girls to sew and cook through 4-H. She impacted many lives while working as a librarian at the Smith Center Library for 16 years. She helped numerous kids with school projects within the walls of the old library. Being a librarian was fitting for Donna, as she had a yearn to learn and taught herself new skills regularly. After retirement, she and Jake continued to encourage education by establishing a scholarship fund for Smith Center High School graduates.
Donna enjoyed sewing, crafting, art, gardening and reading. She was known for being a master quilter. Her passion for quilting lives on in her daughters and granddaughters.
She loved spending time with her family, and especially her grandchildren. It was typical for Jake and Donna to be in Texas and Colorado for nearly every grandchild’s birthday, sport events, and celebrations. She invited grandkids to spend time in Smith Center every summer for swim lessons, took road trips for KU basketball camp just for their grandson, and she always had a new project for the kids to learn during the visit.
Jake and Donna spent many years traveling with Jake’s sister, Ruby Tomlinson, and her husband Jack. It was a standing tradition for the four of them to go out to eat together every Friday night and they often included friends and other family members.
Donna was a member of Evangelical Free Church, White Cross and Sunflower EHU all of Smith Center, KS.
Donna’s church family was very important to her. Many hours were spent sewing with White Cross at the Evangelical Free Church. One of her favorite events was the weekly Bible study she had with Audrey Gibson and Virginia Almquist. These neighbors met weekly for 11 years.
Donna is survived by her husband Jake of Smith Center; son Mike Kelling & wife Mable of Amarillo, TX; daughters Theresa Hall of Atwood and Dawn Schmalzried & husband Rory of Castle Rock, CO; brother John Miller of Rapid City, SD; sisters Connie Ross and husband Ken of Rapid City, SD; Dorothy Sally and husband Tom of Surprise, AZ; sister-in-laws Betty Anderson and husband Don of Thornton, CO; Mavis Parnell and husband Chuck of Bennington, Ks; six grandchildren, Katrenia Sankovich, Jake Kelling, Heath, Tyler, Jack, and Hope Schmalzried and five great-grandchildren, Creighton and Addie Sankovich, Rhys, Owen and Lucas Schmalzried and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Richard Miller and infant brother Randall; sister Gloria Cox and husband John; sister-in-laws Ruby Tomlinson and husband Jack, and Fern Balsam and husband Jim; and son-in-law Gunnar Hall.
A celebration of Donna's life will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at Evangelical Free Church, Smith Center, with Pastor Greg Hubbard officiating. Visitation will be held 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at All Faiths Funeral Chapel and Wednesday, October 12th, 8:30 a.m. until service time at the church. Burial will be in the Cedar Cemetery, Cedar, KS. Memorials may be given to Smith Center Library and can be sent in care of the funeral chapel.