Obituary of James Kelley

James John Kelley, 79, of Wisconsin Rapids, died Sunday morning, September 1, 2013 at Riverview Hospital. Funeral services will be at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, September 5th, at Herman-Taylor Funeral Home. Rev. Kristi Kleinbeck will officiate. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00-8:00 P.M. on Wednesday and from 10:00 A.M. until the time of services on Thursday at the funeral home. James was born September 8, 1933 in Lemonweir, Wisconsin to Harold and Irene (Clafien) Kelley. He served his country in the United States Navy from 1952 to 1962 and in the Army National Guard, Red Arrow Division, from 1963 to 1967. It was during his time in the Navy that he met and married Ida ?Lillian? Clarke. The couple was blessed with 52 years of marriage and three sons. James worked for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation until his retirement. James was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and time at the cabin on the family hunting land. He had a special love of animals, raising many different kinds of creatures from parakeets to raccoons. He enjoyed watching wildlife, especially all of the birds that would frequent his feeders and bird houses. James was a sports fan and liked watching the Packers, Brewers, and PGA golf events. He was a member of American Legion Post 9 of Wisconsin Rapids. Survivors include his wife, Ida ?Lillian?; three sons: Leonard (Deb) Kelley of Wild Rose, Harold (Tami) Kelley of Wisconsin Rapids, and Shawn (Barbara) Kelley of Nekoosa; grandchildren: Dylan Kelley, Cody Kelley, and Ashley Kelley; step-grandchildren: Coral, Dustin, Vanessa, and Chris; step-great-grandson, Aden; one sister, Helen Dillingham of Wisconsin Rapids; and brothers and sisters-in-law: Beulah (Tom) Farrell and Lona (Boyd) Reynolds of Newfoundland, Canada, and Norman (Lillian) Clarke of Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Mary Hagemann, two brothers-in-law, Robert Dillingham and Robert Hagemann, and his father and mother-in-law, Leonard and Ollie Clarke, Newfoundland, Canada.