Sarah Catherine Thomas Kelly was born on December 7, 1931. She passed from this life at

her home on Friday, February 7, 2025. She was 93 years old.

Visitation will be held at Lake Christian Church, Lake, MS on Thursday, February 13, 2025,

from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM and will be followed by a brief service.

The funeral service will begin at 11:00 AM on Thursday, February 13, 2025, at Lake

Christian Church. Burial will follow in Pace Cemetery, Lake, at the direction of Newton

County Funeral Home.

Mrs. Kelly was born Monday, December 7, 1931, in Lawrence, MS. She was a Newton High

School Class of 1949 graduate. Shortly after graduation she went to work in the garment

manufacturing industry at The Newton Company where she operated a serger. In

December of 1949, she married Clifton Ray Kelly of Lake. In 1951, she left The Newton

Company when she became a mother to the first of two daughters. She returned to the

workforce at The Newton Company in 1956. The family moved to Taylorsville, MS in 1967

and Catherine was able to pursue her goal of working in an office when she became

employed at Southern Pine Electric. In 1969, the family returned to Lake and she went to

work at Myers Equipment until 1975 when she and Clifton moved to Columbus, MS. They

moved back to Lake after a few months and she went to work for McCarty Foods. A second

move to Columbus, MS in 1977 brought her the position as bookkeeper at Columbus

Butane until 1989, when she and Clifton returned home to Lake. She went to work for Guy

Hollingsworth as a bookkeeper for his business. She retired in 2005 when Clifton's health

declined and she stayed home to care for him.

Catherine's faith was very important to her. She was a longtime member at Lake Christian

Church. She enjoyed singing and was a faithful servant. She enjoyed spending time with

her family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clifton Ray Kelly; her parents, Calvin Harris

and Grace Truman Robinson Thomas; three brothers – Bobby James Thomas (Libby/Eva

Dee), Calvin Truman Thomas (Jean/June), and William Eugene Thomas (Susie); and twin

great grandsons – Joshua Ray and Preston James White.

Survivors include her daughters – Shirley Ann Kelly Reed (Barry) of Longmont, CO, and

Brenda Sue Kelly of Lake; grandchildren – Kelly Cameron Reed (Noelle) and Brandon

Christopher Reed of Longmont, CO, Sara Lisann White of Hattiesburg, MS; great

grandchildren—Ave Nicole Reed, Camille Catherine Reed, and Cooper Reed of Longmont,

CO; cousins – Betty Park of Lawrence, William May of Tennessee and Kay Thomas

Crenshaw (Howard) of North Carolina; and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be nephews and great-nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer's Association at

act.alz.org.

Newton County Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.