Bud Kelley

Bud’s celebration of life will be held at Selmore Christian Church (4731 Selmore Road, Ozark, Missouri 65701) on Monday, May 24, 2021 at 2 p.m. There will be food and fellowship immediately following the service. Cremation was under direction of Adams Funeral Home, Ozark. 

Milferd “Bud” Emery Kelley, Jr., pastor of Selmore Christian Church and resident of Galena, Missouri, realized his dream of seeing the face of Jesus on May 19, 2021. He was surrounded by his family when he left this world to go to his heavenly home. 

Bud was born on July 6, 1939, in Unionville, Missouri, to M. E. “Mel” Kelley Senior and Betty Irene Davis Kelley. He graduated from Cedar Falls High School in Iowa, then joined the U.S. Army to serve the country that he loved. After his return to Cedar Falls, he met the love of his life, Sandra “Sandy” Lee Kemp Kelley at Howard Johnson’s, where she was working. Bud and Sandy were married on Nov. 4, 1961. He always called her “girlfriend” and their love for one another was an inspiration to everyone they met. Together, they raised four children: Dawn Kelley Rogers, Brett Emery Kelley, Timothy Scott Kelley, and Tammy Kelley Coons. 

Bud, also known as “Poppa Bud,” was the grandfather of 19 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren. Bud is also survived by his siblings: Larry Kelley, Donald Baie, and Cheryl Kelley Nogel, brother-in-law Roger Kemp, and sister-in-law Sally Kemp Linhart.

Bud worked for Fisher Controls in Marshalltown, Iowa, and at the John H. Carter Company in Metairie, Louisiana. In January 1969, Bud accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He served the Lord for more than 50 years. He was an elder at Word of Faith Christian Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1988, Bud and Sandy had a calling to preach and teach in the Ozarks. 

Bud was the pastor of Selmore Christian Church for the past 14 years. In his free time, he enjoyed fishing, boating, a great seafood boil, playing cards (especially 500), traveling, bird watching, sports, and sharing God’s word. Bud’s family and friends were blessed to hear him teach about the ways of the Lord and to hear him share his favorite words: love and kindness. He was known for these key phrases: “I love you,” “God loves you,” “Be kind,” “Keep the main thing the main thing,” “Suck it up and move on down the road,” “Hey, I am watching Hallmark. Come quick, they are about to kiss,” and many iterations of the “Roses are red…” poem.

Bud/Pastor Bud/Daddy/Poppa Bud leaves a legacy of love and will be forever remembered as a great man of God with a heart of gold, who listened to and loved everyone completely. Above all, he was kind.