Billie Damares Oldham Kelley

1922-2003

Memorial services will be held for 68-year Bishop resident 
Billie Damares Oldham Kelley, 81, on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 
the Bishop United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. All are 
welcome.

Born Feb. 23, 1922 in Tyrone, Okla., Mrs. Kelley died on 
Jan. 14, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nev., after many years of 
chronic illness.

A graduate of Bishop Union 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.

Billie married Edward Kelley in 1969 and they lived in 
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.

She is survived by daughter, Muree Reafs of Hollister; son, 
Robert Drummond and his wife Darleen of Las Vegas; daughter, 
Carole Von Raesfeld of Henderson, Nev.; daughter, Janet 
Pettet and fiance Claude "Pete" Peters of Bishop; sister, 
Nadine Wilcox and husband Hollis, formerly of Bishop; 
grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Joy Reafs Mudek and 
husband Mario, Emilie Reafs and daughter Billie Jean Reafs, 
Robert Drummond, Jr. and wife Deanna and newborn son Dylan, 
Adam Drummond and son Christopher, Anjanette Whitaker and 
husband Brian, and James Pettet; and numerous nieces, 
nephews, cousins, stepchildren and friends, including 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.

Interment will be in Bishop, her adopted home since 1935. 

Bishop, Inyo County, California
The Inyo Register - Thursday, February 20, 2003
Page A-2

Permission to post given by the Publisher, Sharon Dare.

Transcribed by Denise S. Flynn