Lorena Anne Puente Kelly

Lorena Anne Puente Kelly died Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at the Flagstaff Medical Center in Flagstaff, Coconino County, Arizona. She was 83 years old. Lorena was born on December 31, 1927 near Chambers, Apache County, Arizona to Julia Lewis and Benito Puente. Mother loved to travel far and wide. She drove from California to Maine and from Washington to Texas. She loved to read to her grandchildren. Education was very important to her. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Education and taught elementary school for 20 years. Following her retirement and, even until recently, many of her students have come up to visit her and thanked her for motivating them to become successful adults. Mom encouraged us to work hard and to get a good education so we can have successful homes and families and good jobs. She worked hard her whole life raising 8 children. She also took others' children into her home and helped raise them. She met Andrew Kelly at the Painted Desert, where she was working when he stopped by to get something to eat while passing through in the Army. They were married in August of 1945 and had spent 52 years together, as husband and wife, when he died in 1997. Our beautiful, strong mother is survived by 8 children: Prestine K. (Harry) James of Salt Lake City, Utah, Barbara A. Kelly of Salt Lake City, Utah, Andrew (Vanessa) Kelly, Jr. of Tuba City, Arizona, Vida Jean (David) Khow of Sedona, Arizona, Veleda J. Kelly of Tropic, Utah, Julianne Kelly of Antrim, New Hampshire, Preston (Sadie) Kelly of Black Mesa, Arizona, Victoria K. (Reggie) Curry of Tuba City, Arizona, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brother, George Puente and by her sister, Grace Martin. The funeral will be 11:00 A.M. (day light savings time), Saturday, April 23, 2011 at the Sanders Branch Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The concluding service and interment will follow at the family plot in Sanders, Arizona.