Christine Kelly

Christine Kelly, 100 of Kosse passed away Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at Groesbeck LTC.

Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 PM on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel.

A funeral will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, September 29, 2022 in the First Methodist Church of Kosse with Pastor Kyle Tremblay officiating.  Burial will follow at Kosse City Cemetery.

Christine Kelly was born on March 7, 1922 in Robertson County, Texas.  After graduating from Bremond High School in 1940, she worked at the Falls County Courthouse (another very impressive fact for a newly minted 18-year-old high school graduate).  In 1944, she married Henry Grady Kelly Jr., and they had their only child, a wonderful son, Henry Grady Kelly III in 1945.  Back then, you had to quit your job as a woman once you started showing your pregnancy.  As such, she did not return to the Falls County Courthouse to stay at home to care for their son.  

In 1957, Christine began her illustrious banking career at the First State Bank in Kosse and served in many, progressive responsibilities and capacities ranging from cashier to Executive Vice President and Director. She was truly a trailblazer for women in a predominantly male dominated field.  She was not only recognized with the "50 years of Banking Award" by the Texas Bankers Association in 2007, but she also served as Secretary and Treasurer for the Heart of Texas branch of the National Association of Bank Women.  In 1998, she was named “Woman of the Year” by the Brazos Valley Chapter of the American Businesswomen’s Association.  She often credited “being a part of the business world and keeping up with world politics” contributed to her longevity in banking.  Her favorite part of her 50-year banking career was “working with the people of Kosse and the surrounding communities on a daily basis”.  The one thing, however, she also shared was if she could have changed one thing about banking, “it would be to work more closely associated with the customer”.  As for business advice for young professionals entering banking, she shares “be cautious about loans you make to the customer," and as the saying goes, “always get the facts”.   

Tragically, her husband died suddenly at Christmas in 1979.  

On a personal note, she was very proud of her son Henry, daughter-in-law Sue, grandsons Clifton and Grady and their wives Christine and Bernadette as well as her two great grandsons, Ollie and Teddy.  She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephew, great nieces, and great nephews.

Her sage words of wisdom included “always look at the good things in life and keep a positive outlook.  Things are never as bad as you make them appear”.  She was frequently asked about her amazing fountain of youth, and she credited taking care of your body and soul. For instance, anyone who drove past her home might know that she insisted on picking up every single pinecone in her front yard year-round, as that was her exercise.  Additionally, she did not favor sweets and craved some greens every day.   

One of our favorite quotes from her was “Life is full of surprises, but if you always look at the positive side, there is always hope”.  

Up until her death, Christine continued to serve the community of Kosse by holding various leadership positions within the Kosse First United Methodist Church, the Kosse Cemetery and working the elections for over 50 years.   

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests any donations in her honor be made to the First United Methodist Church P.O. Box 26 Kosse, TX  76653 or your favorite charity.