Ann Elizabeth Kelsey

Ann Elizabeth Ames Kelsey Services for Ann Kelsey, 63, of Longview will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, August 5, 2009, at First Baptist Church Hallsville, Texas. Dr. David Massey, Sr., Chuck Madden and Mark Gregston will be officiating the ceremony. Internment will take place at Rosewood Park Cemetery. Jesus called and Ann answered early Sunday morning in her treasured home surrounded by her loving family. She loved life and had spent the last 13 years battling cancer and refusing to allow it to define her life. Ann grew up surrounded by four generations of her family in her grandparent?s 150 year old farmhouse in the rolling countryside of Western New York. Some of her favorite childhood memories were riding horses, playing with family in the woods, picnics under the 100 year old willow tree in the front yard, picking fresh hollyhocks and enjoying the smell of the lilacs in bloom. In the winter, she loved to ice skate on the frozen pond and make homemade snow ice cream, a tradition she continued whenever it snowed in Texas. She moved to Longview in 1964 to attend LeTourneau College where her friend. Paul Kelsey was already attending. They began dating and married in December 1965. After graduation, they moved back home for a year before returning to Longview where she spent the last 42 years. They were blessed with two children and 4 grandchildren. All of her life, Ann saw the unloved, poor, hungry, tired, weak...the underdog and purposed in her heart to make a difference in their lives and show them the love of Christ. The joys of her life were her precious grandchildren. They attended Northside Baptist Church and First Baptist Church of Hallsville. She was actively involved in Bible Study Fellowship. She was preceded in death by her parents, Eunice and Jack Ames and her beloved sister Carole Ames Zeagler. Ann is survived by the love of her life, Paul Kelsey, her daughter and son-in-law, Tammy and Bobby Skinner, their children Kelsey and Anna; her son and daughter-in-law, Todd and Jan Kelsey and their children Parker and Connor all of Longview; her brother, Les Ames; aunt and uncle; Shirley and Bob Dusen; aunt, Delores Coughlin; her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Linda and Donnie Dickinson; brother-in-law, Gene Kelsey all of New York, many nieces, nephews, cousins and a great multitude of friends around the world. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, from 6 - 8 p.m. at Rader Funeral Home in Longview. Memorial gifts in Ann?s honor may be sent to Ann Kelsey Memorial Fund, Bancorp South, 3120 H.G. Mosley, Longview, Texas 75605.They will be distributed among some of Ann?s favorite ?opportunities? to help others such as Artsview Children?s Theatre, Forever Friends, Walk for the Cure and Heartsway Hospice. The family is grateful for the incredibly compassionate care they received from The Longview Cancer Center; Dr. Duncan, Dr. Schottstaedt, Dr. Taylor, Monica White and the compassion of the entire staff.

Ann Elizabeth Kelsey

February 19, 1946 - August 2, 2009