Cover photo for Betty Jane Kellum's Obituary
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1923 Betty 2016

Betty Jane Kellum

September 27, 1923 — October 24, 2016

Tupelo - Betty Jane Kellum was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sibling, sister-in-law, aunt, and friend to many. She was born on September 27, 1923, in Coldwater, Mississippi. On October 24, 2016, surrounded by her loving children, she was able to painlessly walk into heaven, without assistance, where she was joyfully reunited with her husband of fifty-five years, Agrippa "Grip" Spence Kellum, to the sound of their special courting song, Kamennoi Ostrov.

Betty Jane attended Northwest Mississippi Junior College in 1941-43, where she met her future husband and lifelong partner, Grip. She then attended University of Tennessee Pharmacy School and received a B.S. degree in 1945. She married the love of her life, Grip Kellum, in July of 1946 in Coldwater, Mississippi. She and Grip lived in Boston, Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia; and Hartford, Alabama, before returning to Grip's hometown of Tupelo in 1955, at which time she became a member of Gloster Street Church of Christ. Her church activities of over seventy years included teaching Sunday school classes, arranging flowers for the auditorium, and participating in service and social activities with her Wednesday Friends group and the Jail Ministry.

Betty Jane was an active participant in the Tupelo Mutual Culture Club, Hoe and Hope Garden Club, Rose Society, North Mississippi Medical Center Hospital Auxiliary, Tupelo Free Clinic, and a monthly bridge club. She was always there for those in need from all walks of life. She enjoyed entertaining family and friends, gardening (fruits, vegetables and flowers), sewing, knitting, and cooking. She also enjoyed traveling with her beloved husband, Grip. They enjoyed several Road Scholar and Elder Hostel programs and even a trip to Korea where Grip had served in military surgical unit. She was a life-long learner and always ready to go!

Betty Jane is survived by her four children: Susan Kellum Robin of Lexington, Kentucky; Rebecca "Becky" Kellum of Lexington, Kentucky; Melinda Kellum Lamon of Saltillo, Mississippi; and Agrippa Spence Kellum, Jr. of Guntown, Mississippi. She was blessed with four grandchildren: Leslie Robin Aslam and husband Bilal of Lexington, Kentucky; Benjamin Paul Robin and wife Victoria of Richmond, Kentucky; Madeline Jewell Lamon of Oxford, Mississippi; and Agrippa Spence Kellum III of Ithaca, New York; as well as three great-grandchildren: Lyla Aslam, Nooria Aslam, and Julian Buck Robin. She is survived by her sister, Jewell James of Macon, Georgia; and sisters-in-law Martha Slocum of Coldwater, Mississippi; Maurice Kellum of Tupelo, Mississippi; and Mary Kellum of Cambridge, Ohio. She leaves behind a host of nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Ray Redding Slocum and Jewell Gaines Slocum, and her brothers, Ray Redding Slocum, Jr., Ralph Gaines Slocum, and David Andrew Slocum. She was also proceeded in death by her brothers and sisters-in-law: Henry Jackson Kellum, Jr.; William Carl Kellum; Jesse Blake Kellum; Joseph Leslie and Marceline Kellum; and Raymond Lester and Jane Kellum.

Visitation will be at W. E. Pegues, Tupelo from 5 until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 2016.

Services will be held at Gloster Street Church of Christ at 2 p.m. Thursday, October 27, 2016, with Chad Ramsey and Brian Galloway officiating. Music, pre-selected by Betty Jane, will be provided by a special chorus organized by Marsha Jones. Body will be instate one hour prior to service time Thursday at the church.

Pallbearers will be her medical guardian angels Drs. Ken and Andy Kellum, and the deacons of Gloster Street Church of Christ: Louis Cervantes, Travis Cornelius, George Heath, Greg Jones, Branyon Johnson, Tony Milam, Louis Miro, Rusty Palmer, Carlton Plunk, Dennie Smith, Steven Walton, Jimmy Dyson, and Terry Smith.

Honorary pallbearers include the team of kind and dedicated ladies who assisted Betty Jane "Miss Betty" in the last few years of her life: Rena Conner, Josephine Brown, Theresa Garmon, Carolyn Ford, Minnie Ivy, Diane Bolton, and Essie Edson; as well as the elders of Gloster Street Church of Christ and their wives: Paul Callens and wife Renea, Monty Key and wife Jan, Gary Martin and wife Carolyn, James Segars and wife Glenda, and Wayne Washington and wife Patsy.

Memorials may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society www.nationalmssociety.org/ or Building Fund of the Gloster Church of Christ (307 North Gloster St., Tupelo, MS 38804).

Expressions of sympathy may be left at www.peguesfuneralhome.com .
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Betty Jane Kellum, please visit our flower store.

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