This is the story of Fred Kelley as told by his wife, Jeannette M. Kelley, with quotes from his many writings.
On Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, at the age of 87 years, Fred went to his eternal resting place with God. He died at his home in Cottonwood, from Alzheimer’s disease exacerbated by the effects of a fall on Oct. 28.
Fred was born to Gaston and Margaret (Odenwald) Kelley in St. Maries, on May 29, 1937. He and his parents moved from Avery, Idaho, to Orofino, about two years later. Fred’s younger brother, Greg, joined the family in 1945. Fred enjoyed a happy, rather care-free childhood in Orofino. Fred graduated from Orofino High School in the class of 1955. He participated in football, the O Club, and Pep Club all four years. A classmate recently wrote to me, “I always remember Fred for his great sense of humor and ability to enliven any gathering. I was also impressed with his transition to increasing kindness and gentleness through the years.”
After high school graduation, Fred and several of his buddies worked for Boeing in Seattle. After a short time, he returned to Idaho and began working in the woods. It was not work he particularly enjoyed, especially in the winter. Sometime in the early 1960s, Fred was critically injured in a logging accident. He was working in Wyoming at the time, but spent about a year in a hospital in Los Alamos, N.M. He dealt with the effects of his injuries for the rest of his life. The many facets of this man’s life include owning and running several fast food restaurants. He had Arctic Circle restaurants in central Washington. He also ran an A&W Root Beer restaurant in Orofino.
At an early age Fred decided he did not want the responsibility of raising children. He wrote, “I reckoned that such a responsibility was incompatible with the life which I envisioned for myself: an unencumbered life of personal freedom dedicated to work and play.” He never had children, but always enjoyed engaging with them. For several seasons, he was Santa Claus at a grade school in a depressed area of Tacoma.
Fred also wrote, “In the 60s and 70s I made two feeble attempts at ‘I do’ nuptial commitments. Predictably, both of them served as grim and glaring reminders that I should have stayed the course and followed my original game plan. In retrospect, I simply didn’t have the maturity to sustain such committed relationships — I was too self-centered.”
Fred continues: “Moving down the trail several seldom-sober years to 1985, it was at the beginning of the fall semester where I met Jeannette.” Fred and I were non-traditional students at Lewis-Clark State College. As a ruse for getting to know me, Fred inquired about a cross I was wearing. From that he became introduced to the Catholic Church. He was baptized and confirmed at Our Lady of Lourdes in Lewiston, during the Easter Vigil of 1986. At that time, the Diocese of Boise was sponsoring a two year Ministerial Development Program (MDP). Meetings took place at the Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood. In addition to several Benedictine sisters we had met in Lewiston, a number of them from the monastery were instructors for MDP. Sister Meg Sass taught the stages of moral development based on the work of Kohlberg. Fred wrote, “She said that some of us may become ‘stuck’ at a certain stage. Learning this was a life changing moment for me. I suddenly and clearly understood why I was the way I was. In the early fifties (age) I was ‘stuck’ in the mid-fifties (the 1950s)!” Fred took it upon himself to be transformed into the mature person God meant for him to be.
Fred and I were married at Our Lady of Lourdes on May 30, 1987, spending our wedding night at the monastery. We moved to Cheney, Wash., to complete our respective degrees at Eastern Washington University; Fred received a Bachelor of Arts degree. During this same time the monastery was developing an oblate community, a group of men and women who commit themselves to living according to the Rule of St. Benedict, whatever their station in life. In August 1988, we became two of the first eight Oblates of the Monastery of St. Gertrude.
Following graduation from EWU, in the spring of 1989, we moved to Buckley, Wash. Fred created a successful sewer and drain cleaning business there. In December of 2006, we retired and moved to Cottonwood, to volunteer at what is now the Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude. Fred had various responsibilities there, including baking bread, assisting housekeepers in cleaning the Spirit Center, helping in the kitchen by peeling carrots and potatoes, washing compost buckets and washing many dishes.
Fred Kelley was an intellect, writer of stories and always curious. His bookshelves have volumes on history, classic literature, spirituality and philosophy. He made friends easily, and there were many. He was the love of my life. Our union was one of companionship, compromise and compassion. I will miss him dearly, but he taught me how to be strong and resilient. I shall go on always holding him in my heart as the most loving, special and unique person in my life.
Fred was predeceased by his parents, grandparents and nephew, Wade Kelley. He is survived by his brother, Greg Kelley and his wife Sandy, of Orofino; his nephew, Ward Kelley, also of Orofino; his stepson, David Lobbestael and his wife Tonya, of Sommerville, S.C., and their family; his sister-in-law, Penny Cook, of Corvallis, Ore.; his brother-in-law, Rick Ridley and his wife Linda, of Ann Arbor, Mich., and their family; also, many cousins and dear friends.
There will be a funeral Mass of Christian Burial at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Center For Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude, 475 Keuterville Road, Cottonwood.
Blackmer Funeral Home of Grangeville is in charge of arrangements.
If you wish, memorial donations may be made to the Center for Benedictine Life; Syringa Hospice, 607 W. Main St., Grangeville, ID 83530; or to a charity of your choice.
