Florence Theresa Kelly (nee Hehn) of Walkerton passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at Brucelea Haven, Walkerton. Beloved mother of Pat (Joanne) of Paisley, Ed (Marj) of Chepstow, John (Janet) of Walkerton, Jim (Sharon) of Cargill, Maureen Barclay of Chepstow, and Karen (Marc Hamelin) McLean of Owen Sound. Florence was a proud grandma of 22 grand and 27 great-grandchildren. She will be missed by her siblings Agnes Ernest, Marianne Lang, Dorothy Wilhelm, all of Walkerton, Loretta (Tom) O’Hagan of Chepstow, Kathleen (Don) Voisin of Hanover, Don (Dyanne) Hehn of Walkerton, and many nieces and nephews.
Florence Theresa Hehn was born May 19, 1929, in Cargill, the eldest child of Max & Sophie Hehn. In the early 1930’s the Hehn family moved to Chepstow where Max operated a shoe and harness repair shop. Chepstow was to be Florence’s home for the next twenty years, where she went to school and witnessed the arrival of the rest of her siblings.
It was while at Chepstow that a school project sparked a lifelong passion for Florence – knitting. During the Second World War that the school children were encouraged to knit socks for Canadian soldiers overseas. She learned to knit at that time and continued to knit until just a few years ago. Florence also enjoyed sewing and quilting but her true passion was knitting. Scarves, toques, mittens, sweaters, jackets, socks or baby clothes. If something could be created using knitting needles and yarn, she made it.
After she finished school, Florence started working. She worked at one time as a waitress at the Cargill Hotel. As was customary at the time, she also got jobs helping families that had welcomed newborn babies. The Schmidt, Dales and the Wells families come to mind. Her cooking and baking talents were greatly appreciated. Decades after she worked there, some members of those families still raved about her raisin pie. It was while she was working at the home of Tom Chisholm in Brant township, that she met the man who was also working on the Chisholm farm, Len Kelly. Len eventually worked up the courage to ask Florence for a date and they went to a dance in Cargill, using the Chisholm cattle truck for transportation.
Florence and Len were married on September 10, 1951. The Kelly farm on Lot 11, Concession A of Greenock Township was to be their home for the next forty-three years. The arrivals of Pat, Ed, John, Jim, Maureen & Karen followed over the next number of years. Cooking, cleaning, gardening and all the hundreds of other things required to raise a family, occupied much of Florence’s time. Bowling and euchre were a few of her leisure activities. With Florence, her enjoyment came from being around other people even more than the activities themselves. She volunteered by reading with children at school, Palliative Care family support, 4H and the Catholic Women’s League bingos.
In 1994, Florence and Len moved to Walkerton. As always there was quilting, sewing and knitting to be done. Looking after her ever-expanding number of grandchildren occupied much of Florence’s time. Christmas, Easter and St. Patrick’s Day were always special times for family gatherings at their home. Visitors came often and were always welcome. Anyone who did deliveries to the house on Hinks St., also found that Florence was always ready to chat with them.
In fact, Florence loved to chat. On the phone or in person, either way worked very well for her. Family, friends, acquaintances, total strangers and during the last few years, the staff at Brucelea Haven. She was happy to talk to any, and all. If there was one minor flaw in her conversations it was that occasionally she had trouble ending her chats when it was time for her or her visitors to go home. This minor issue was well understood by the Kelly family, especially Len. He was known to say to her, ‘Can’t you finish your conversation before we open the outside door and let all of the cold air into the house?’
In 2015, shortly after celebrating sixty-three years of marriage, Len passed away after a short illness. Those married years were filled with love and laughter and some sad times too. Florence missed Len terribly but her positive outlook on life and her determination allowed her to carry on living in the house on Hinks St. Much to the surprise of the family, she was able to live on her own and to do quite well looking after herself. Her loss of mobility and a few falls forced her to leave her house a few years later. In 2019 she moved to a senior’s home, ending up in Brucelea Haven in 2020.
After enduring the lack of visitors and everything else that went with the pandemic restrictions, she really enjoyed her stay at Brucelea. She soon became friends with all the excellent staff who worked there. As always, there were staff and residents to talk to and frequent visitors to look forward to.
Florence passed away peacefully, in her sleep, on November 10th, 2024. There will be much conversation in heaven when she arrives there, with many relatives and old friends to catch up with and new people to meet. Len will be sitting there waiting, arms folded. He will be overjoyed seeing her again. He will likely greet her, as he sometimes did, by saying ‘Well mother, you certainly kept me waiting.’
Predeceased by her husband Leonard, son-in-law Dave Barclay, siblings Gerald “Jake” Hehn, Leona (Gerry) Ellig, Ivan (Eileen) Hehn, parents Max and Sophie (nee Kaufman) Hehn, brothers-in-law Steve Ernst, Ernie Lang, Jerry Bleek, Harold Wilhelm, many members of the Kelly Family.
Friends and relatives were invited to Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 15, 2024, at Mary Immaculate Church, Chepstow. Followed by a celebration of life that began at 12:30 p.m. at Chepstow Lion’s Park.
Interment was in Mary Immaculate Cemetery, Chepstow.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to Saugeen Hospice or Brucelea Haven Activation Fund would be appreciated by the family. Donations and condolences may be made online at www.cameronfuneralhomes.com
