of Rose Bud, AR
January 20, 2017
Vernie Cooper Kelley, age 97, of Rose Bud, died on January 20,2017. She was born on December 18, 1919, to Lee Vernon Cooper and Mary Frances Johnson Cooper in Rose Bud, Arkansas. She was born and reared in Rose Bud. Except for a few years in Los Angeles, California, she lived her life in the Mt. Bethel Community near Rose Bud. She loved her family, her home, her community and her neighbors. She often stated that she had lived in Rose Bud for so many years that she was a part of the dirt. She will be remembered as a Godly Christian woman, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and a very special person.
Mrs. Kelley married Vernon Kelley of Romance on October 15, 1938. They spent their early years of marriage in Southern California. After returning to their beloved home state, they later owned and operated a cattle farm in Rose Bud. She was an original "Rosie the Riviter" who worked at the Arkansas Ordance Detenator and Munition Plant in Jacksonville, Arkansas, during WWII. Later, she worked at International Shoe Company in Searcy. She was owner/operator of Vernie's Beauty Shop in Rose Bud.
Mrs. Kelley is preceded in death by her husband, her parents; two brothers, William Buster (Bus) Cooper, Ray A. Cooper; a sister, Odean Cooper Thomas Gray of Searcy; and son-in-law, Rev. David A. Joslin of Conway.
She is survived by her daughter, Mary Kay Joslin, of Conway; two grandchildren, David A. Joslin, Jr. and wife Patty of Maryland , Delaware, and Kelli Kristen Joslin Cypert and husband Steve of Sheridan; five great grandchildren, Ashley Joslin Bethea, Austin Mitchel Joslin, Paige Kelley Joslin, Kristen Hope Cypert, and Thomas David Cypert and wife Alissa Beth; great great grandchildren, Michael David Bethea and Joy Beth Cypert; many nieces, nephews, and a host of loving friends.
Funeral services will be held at Mt. Bethel Free Will Baptist Church in Rose Bud on Tuesday, January 24, at 2:00 P.M. Visitation will be at 1:00 P.M. at Mt. Bethel Free Will Baptist Church before the service. Burial will be at Mt. Bethel Cemetery. The service will be conducted by Rev. Steve Cypert and Rev. Thomas David Cypert.
Pall Bearers are David A. Joslin, Jr., Thomas David Cypert, Derrel Thomas, Danny Ray Cooper, David Lynn Crockett, Scotty Boggs, Gary McKay, and Gary Wortham. Honorary Pall Bearers are Jimmie Crockett, Donald Crockett, Carron Byrd, Hamlee Moon and Lee Young.
Arrangements by Roller-Daniel Funeral Home, Searcy.
For online guest book, www.rollerfuneralhomes.com
Sympathy & condolences from the family of Billy Joe Greene.
My mother also worked at the Ordinance plant....riding a bus from Little Rock to Jacksonville daily. They were a strong breed of ladies. My sympathies to you all.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this time
With Jesus, God bless all till we're reunited in our eternal home.
Loved miss Vernie! Always a smile and kind words. She was such a sweet lady and her hugs let you know how big her heart was. May God a Bless her family.
I would like to express my deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family of Vernie Kelley. I am truly sorry for the lost that your family is feeling. Experiencing the lost of a beloved family member is one of the hardest things that any of us can go thru. And because of that my thoughts and prayers are with your family. Take comfort in knowing that God never intent for us to deal with sickness or death. But have assure in this wonderful promise that God holds out to us. He promise each of us that very soon he is going to reunite us back with all those loved ones that we have lost. (John 5:28,29) Until that time, cherish all the wonderful memories that you have of Mr. Vernie. These precious memories will console the family in the day's ahead.