116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Monday, August 14, 2023
Jeffry "Jeff" Kelly
Age: 68
City: Waterville
Funeral Home
Martin-Grau Funeral Home
Monday, August 14, 2023
Jeffry "Jeff" Kelly
Jeffry "Jeff" Kelly
Waterville
Jeffry "Jeff" Kelly, 68, of Waterville, Iowa, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in rural Lansing as the result of a UTV accident. Funeral services will be held Saturday, Aug. 19, at 11 a.m. at St. Pius Cherry Mound Catholic Church in rural Harpers Ferry, Iowa, with Fr. Joseph Sevcik officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may greet the family from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon where there will be a 2:30 p.m. Scripture service.
Jeffrey Francis Carl Kelly was born Feb. 21, 1955, in Waukon, Iowa, the son of Cletus and Mildred (Busness) Kelly. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Pius Cherry Mound Catholic Church in rural Harpers Ferry, attended Waterville School, and graduated from Waukon High School in 1973. On Nov. 5, 1974, he married Mary Ann Troendle at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing; they later divorced. Jeff farmed the family farm in Paint Creek Township, rural Waterville, where they milked cows and raised crops until 1999. He worked for UBC Lumber Company for a few years before he went to work for his son at Kelly Concrete, retiring in 2012.
Jeff was a member of St. Pius Cherry Mound Catholic Church, serving on the church council and was past council president. He enjoyed ice fishing, deer hunting, and turkey hunting. Jeff loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. He was the family storm watcher; if there was a storm in the area, day or night he would call his family to make sure they were safe and sound in the basement.
Survivors include his children, Chad (Kari) Kelly of Waukon, Darcy (Tracy) Dibert of Lansing, Jared (Karla) Kelly of Ossian, J.C. (Natalie) Kelly of Waukon, and April (Brock) Gile of Owatonna, Minn.; 15 grandchildren, Reed and Cade Kelly, Annabelle, Kristina, Dalton and Evelynn Dibert, Nicole (Brody) Regan, Kenzi Jones (fiancé Cavin Baumler), Brody and Kylie Kohrs, Lauren, Cole and Grace Kelly, Hailee Bell and Sean Bieber; four great-grandchildren, Brielle and Nora Regan and RaeLynn and Alaina Deegan; his siblings: Rodney (Shaina) Kelly of Mount Vernon, Iowa, Linda (Richard) Hermanson of Waterville, Colleen (Richard) Ulrich of Allison, Iowa, Wayne (Barb Winter) Kelly of Waterville; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; infant sister Helen Ann Kelly; and a sister-in-law Elaine Kelly.
Honorary casketbearers are Jeff's granddaughters and great-granddaughters. Casketbearers are Jeff's grandsons.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.