Nancy J. Kelley

Nancy Jean Kelley, 75, of Litchfield, passed away on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at Meeker Memorial Hospital.

No public services will be held. Cards and condolences for the family may be sent to Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Service.

Nancy was born on July 16, 1947, to Marion and Rosemary (Ward) VanHoose in St. Louis, Missouri. Marion was a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, a fact Nancy was proud of, and the family moved around quite a bit. After Nancy was born, the family moved to the Los Angeles area, where Nancy’s first daughter, Tammy, was born. They then moved to the San Francisco area. Nancy moved to Rosamond, CA alone and in 1979, gave birth to her son, Garylee. In 1989, while living in the Mojave Desert, she met Ronald Tiedt. In 1992, at the age of 47, the couple welcomed daughter, Miracle, and later, the three moved to New Prague, MN. In 2004, Nancy moved to Litchfield to be closer to her family.

Nancy had a big heart and loved animals more than people. She would try to rescue as many as possible, built cat shelters in the winter, and would feed the neighborhood strays. She enjoyed collecting stones, celebrity gossip, the TV show, “Friends”, listening to music, reading, and spending time with her kids. She worked with the Humane Society and ASPCA.

Stubborn and a fighter until her last day, Nancy was known to be mean in a loving way. She had no filter, but was full of empathy. She was vocal about her opinion, said it how it was, and enjoyed arguing with people on Facebook. She was the life of the party; the party didn’t start until she arrived and didn’t end until she left. She collected knives and always carried one with her. She liked to say, “it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, then it’s hilarious”.

Nancy leaves behind her children: Tammy Denise (Charles) Dysert, Garylee Joshua (Tabetha) Wright, and Miracle Star (Travis) Hanson; siblings: Carroll (Connie) Getter, Linda Derington, and Gene VanHoose; furbabies: Tank, Walter, and Poppy; special friend, Ronald Tiedt; and many nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; grandparents; sister, Debbie Carvel; and beloved pets: Bubba, Buddy, Kitty, Bella, and many others.