Beaulah May Kelley Dies at 97
Beaulah May Kelley, 97, of Anacortes died Thursday, November 3, 2005 at Rosario Assisted Living in Anacortes.
She was born January 8, 1908 in Seattle, WA, the daughter of Eli and Olley (Kennedy) Campbell.
In 1912 she and her family arrived in La Conner in a paddlewheel riverboat. She spent the remainder of her childhood in La Conner and graduated from La Conner High School in 1926. Throughout high school she was active in school sports. Her favorite was basketball. She was an outstanding center, and was named to the state basketball team her senior year. She attended Mount Vernon Business College and then moved to Los Angeles, CA, to work as a bookkeeper.
In 1931, still working in Los Angeles, Beaulah married Bennie Frank "Kelley" Kelley. The couple made their home in Pica, CA, until 1940, when they moved to Seattle. Their home for the next four years was on the top of Queen Anne Hill. Beaulah joined Tidewater Oil Co. as a bookkeeper; Kelley worked at the shipyards on Lake Union.
In 1944, Beaulah and Kelley returned to California. They settled in West Covina where they lived until Kelley contracted to work abroad for the Arabian American Oil Company. He departed for Ras Tanura Saudi Arabia, in 1948. Housing for American families was scarce in Saudi those days. Beaulah had to stay in West Covina for two full years before she and the children could join him in the summer of 1950. They spent the next ten, very enjoyable years in Ras Tanura. Beaulah developed a keen interest in traveling, golfing, playing bridge, and boating.
The couple retired to Anacortes in autumn of 1960, built a new home, and started a newspaper distributorship. For several years Kelley did the driving and Beaulah kept the books.
Kelley passed away in 1978. He and Beaulah had been married 47 years. Their time in the Middle East had given Beaulah an interest in travel that she continued to pursue in her later years, with Reno and its nickel slots as one of her favorite destinations.
Beaulah is survived by her son, Patrick (Johanna) Kelley of Everett; daughters, Gayl McAlister and Kathy (William D.) Fast of Anacortes; grandchildren, Andrea McAlister, Kelley McAlister, Megan Rudholm, Sara LeTellier, Kelley Hungerford, Glen Fast, Kasey Shea, Brian Kelley, Ben Kelley; and sixteen great grandchildren. She also leaves one brother, Al Campbell of Mount Vernon; two sisters, Gertrude Wise of SedroWoolley and Lorraine Alskog of Mt. Vernon; as well as many nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband Kelley, Beaulah was preceded in death by her parents Eli and Olley Campbell; brothers A.L. Campbell, Art Campbell, Ed Campbell, Fred Campbell, Roy Campbell, Gene Campbell, Howard Campbell, Harold Campbell; and sisters Bertha Schlafer and Emma Campbell.
The family suggests memorials to Skagit Hospice or a favorite charity in lieu of flowers.
Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at Fernhill Cemetery in Anacortes. A memorial service will follow at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at Evans Funeral Chapel in Anacortes.
Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Anacortes.