Billie Damares Oldham Kelley

1922-2003

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Fed. 22 at the Bishop United
Methodist Church for Billie Damares Oldham Kelley,

Born Feb. 23, 1922 in Tyrone, Okla., Billie died Jan. 14, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nev. 
after many years of chronic illness and debilitation.  She will be laid to rest in
Bishop, her adopted home since 1935.

A graduate of Bishop High School, Billie worked as a telephone operator until her 
marriage to George Drummond on Halloween, 1940.  Billie and George had five 
children - one son and four daughters.  Deanna Jean, the eldest daughter, died as
an infant on Jan. 9, 1942.

Billie and George were divorced in 1968.  She married Edward Kelley in 1969 and 
they moved to Colorado for about 10 years, returning to Bishop in 1979.  Ed died
on May 28, 2001.  Billie moved to an assisted living home in Las Vegas on July 2,
2002. 

Billie possessed many talents.  She was an accomplished seamstress.  She also 
crocheted, embroidered and knitted.  She played the piano and organ and dabbled in
oil painting.  She was a good cook, especially cookies, pies and chiffon cakes.  She
spent most of her life as a homemaker.

Billie is survived by daughters, Muree Reafs of Hollister, Carole von Raesfeld of 
Henderson, Nev. and Janet Pettet and her betrothed, Claude ("Pete") Peters, of Bishop;
and son Robert Drummond and his wife, Darleen, of Las Vegas. 

Billie is also survived by six grandchildren: Muree's daughters Joy Reafs Mudek 
(and husband,Mario Mudek) and Emilie Reafs (and her daughter Billie Jean Reafs); 
Robert's sons, Robert Drummond (and wife, Deanna, and newborn son, Dylan) and Adam
Drummond (and his son, Christopher); Janet's daughter and son, Anjanette Whitaker 
(and husband, Brian) and James Pettet.  Billie is also survived by her sister Nadine
Wilcox, (and husband Hollis Wilcox), formerly of Bishop, as well as numerous nieces, 
nephews, cousins, stepchildren and friends, particularly Ann Little of Big Pine, Katie
Servanti of Las Vegas and Gloria Jarvis of Bishop.

Gifts and donations in Billie's memory should be directed to the Inyo-Mono Area 
Agency on Aging, to programs that provide services for the prevention and treatment
of alcoholism or to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Inc.   

Bishop, Inyo County, California
The Inyo Register - Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Page A-2

Permission to post given by the Publisher, Sharon Dare.

Transcribed by Denise S. Flynn