Rosemary Lay was born on January 1, 1925, at her home in the village of Knob Noster, Missouri, the daughter of Louis Lay and Pauline Rice Lay. She loved growing up in the safe, secure environment of a small town.
At Knob Noster High School, Rosemary met Ray Kelly, who became her high school sweetheart and the love of her life. Like so many young people that age, World War II delayed their plans. Ray went to war and Rosemary went to college at Missouri Valley. She graduated in 1946.
Ray returned from the war, but he still needed to finish his interrupted education. Finally, after his graduation, they were married in 1949. Ray began to work as an engineer, and they moved to Kansas City.
In 1950, Rosemary gave birth to a colicky baby, Mark. As she walked the floor trying to get the little rascal to sleep, she had baseball games for company. The baby eventually grew out of the colic, but she remained a baseball fan for life.
Ray’s job with the Missouri Highway department took them from Kansas City to Willow Springs, Missouri, where son Jay and daughter Andrea were born, then on to Sikeston, Missouri, in Missouri’s “Bootheel” region. In 1959, another transfer led the family back to the Kansas City area, in Raytown.
Unfortunately, not long after, Ray started developing physical problems, and was eventually diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Rosemary stepped up. She learned to drive, obtained her license, then got a job as the secretary for the maintenance department in Raytown Schools.
It wasn’t long before Ray’s symptoms not only prevented him from going to work but left him in a wheelchair and unable to care for himself. Rosemary retired from her job at the school district and dedicated herself to his care. With the help and support of the Visiting Nurses Association, she was able to keep Ray at home until he passed away in 1980.
In the meantime, her oldest child was emerging from an early marriage as a single parent with two young boys to care for. Rosemary invited Mark and his sons, Eric and Brian, into her home.
Her younger children, Jay and Andrea (Andee) also married, blessing her with 4 more grandchildren.
After Ray passed away, Rosemary returned to work as the maintenance department secretary in Raytown schools. Then, in 1987, Rosemary sold her home in Raytown, and moved to Arrow Rock, Missouri—a small town so much like the town of her formative years. In partnership with her brother and sister-in law, James and Marge Kelly, and their friends Bill and Judy Tucker, she purchased the Country Store on the Main Street boardwalk from her former teacher.
In Arrow Rock, Rosemary quickly became part of the community, joining the Merchant’s Association and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She had a log home built to her specifications. She helped support community events, ushered at the theatre and baked cookies or her fabulous pecan pies for fund raisers. She got to know all her neighbors and many of them were her friends for the rest of her life.
The town that she loved embraced her as well. As she aged, and gave up driving and eventually became less mobile, so many of her neighbors stepped up to bring her mail, to drive her to events and just make sure that she was all right. The life she lived in Arrow Rock was the life she had always wanted.
Survivors include two sons: Jay Kelly of Columbia, Missouri, Mark Kelly (Simone) of Overland Park, Kansas.; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; 12 great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Barbara Marino of Leawood, Kansas; as well as nieces, nephews, and other extended family.
Rosemary was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Ray; one sister, Josephine Hughes; and her daughter, Andrea O’Neill.
Rosemary lived a long fulfilling life, filled with many blessings. She loved keeping up with her family and with her friends and neighbors. Everything she gave eventually came back to her in support, in caring and in concern. She loved and she was loved in return. Her story is now complete, but well worth celebrating. She lived as we all should live.
A celebration of Rosemary’s life will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, February 6, 2023 at The Federated Church, 506 High Street, Arrow Rock, Missouri. In addition to flowers (Rosemary loved flowers), donations may be made to the Lyceum Theatre or to Friends of Arrow Rock. An online guestbook is available at www.campbell-lewis.com