Ada Ruth Kelly, age 103, of Nashville, Tennessee passed away on Sunday, February 5, 2023.
Ada Ruth Cole Kelly, known to her family as “Nanny,” was born on November 16, 1919, to Ruth Dickerson Cole and Carzy Clifford Cole.
She was raised in Buena Vista, a small train depot town in Carroll County TN that she remembered with great fondness. Education was always very important to Ada Ruth. After attending the Buena Vista School through the 9th grade (which was as far as that school went) she moved to nearby Humboldt to attend the 10th and 11th grades, while staying with her older sister, Blanche. The following year, she graduated from the 12th grade at Central High School in Bruceton, TN.
At age 19, Ada Ruth came to Nashville and continued her education at Nashville Business College in the Arcade. Then she went to work at National Life and Accident Company, which was considered to be a very good job. During this time she lived at the “Girls Home,” near the Ryman Auditorium, a Church of Christ-sponsored boarding house for young women working in the city. She recalled enjoying her stay there, exploring the city with friends on trolley cars that went to Centennial Park and other outlying destinations. She also joined and became a lifelong member of First Baptist Church of Nashville.
Ada Ruth met her future husband, William Bryan Kelly, from nearby White House, TN, on a blind date arranged by a friend on July 4th,1939. They were married on June 15th, 1940. As was customary at that time, she was only allowed by her employer to work six more months after marrying. A son, Bryan Cole Kelly, was born in 1941. A daughter, Ada Rebecca (Becky) Kelly, was born in 1943.
Ada Ruth went back to work around 1950, for the Baptist Sunday School Board. She was employed there for a number of years before moving on to the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Committee. Around 1963, she moved into the job of head bookkeeper, where she worked for nearly a quarter of a century, ushering the process from paper ledgers through the introduction of giant mainframe computers.
After Ada Ruth retired, she was not done! She attended Belmont College and earned her BA in English Literature at the age of 72. After that, she volunteered in various positions at Belmont, including the Student Health Clinic. And she traveled! She cruised to Alaska, and visited Ireland with friends. With a granddaughter married to a Foreign Service Officer there was always a bed and breakfast in interesting places. So Ada Ruth visited her in Guatemala, El Salvador, Czechia and finally Austria, at the age of 91.
Ada Ruth loved her family and adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a super grandparent who could play with kids all day. She was always curious and never afraid to try something new. “Nanny” loved life—no wonder she held on to it for so long!
Ada Ruth passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 5, in hospice, at the age of 103. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Bryan Kelly, her sisters, Blanche Cole Birdwell and Louise Cole Smothers, her brother Willard Cole, and her son, Bryan Cole Kelly.
She is survived by her daughter, Rebecca Kelly Bembry, son in law Elwyn Bembry, granddaughter Kelly Bembry Midura, grandson Patrick Bembry, granddaughter Dana Lacher, daughter in law Mary Kelly, and great-grandchildren Rachel Midura and Liam Bryant Midura.
The family would like to thank Aleshia Griffin for her long-time loving care and companionship.
Visitation will be Friday, Feb 10, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held on Saturday morning at the same location, with the burial directly following at McAuley Cemetery in Buena Vista, Tennessee.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.marshalldonnellycombs.com for the Kelly family.
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