This is a memorial that I wish did not ever need to be written; it is about such a wonderful servant of God, a devoted wife, a sacrificing parent, and faithful friend.

Jonnie Sue was the most loving daughter of William Ellis and Sue Laurene (nee Prevatt) Gattis.

Mom was born in Miami, Florida on July 5, 1937 and, ironically, was given a nickname of "dud," a firecracker that was defective, simply because her birth was a day after Independence Day. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth. She was an avid baseball card collector, fisherwoman, table tennis enthusiast, Southern cook, etc. Her last wish after recovering from her second triple bypass in August 2014 was to ride on Rod Hastings' Harley from Bell to Cedar Key.

Our family has heard so many stories from her incredible memory, one that worked like a computer decompressing files of her life. She could recall elementary school teachers, fellow classmates, relatives, pets, events, etc. as if it were yesterday. This was one of her blessings and it would serve her well. The ability to connect with people based on brief exposure or a common thread was Mom's strong suit.

Being the only child of very young parents during the Depression, life was not always easy. However, she had the undying support of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John Pearl (J. P.) Prevatt, who doted on her and taught her from a very young age the importance of faith in God and the example that Christ set for us to serve, not to be served. It was with her grandfather that she spent most of her free time: early years in Miami followed by summers in Daytona. His role as a Christian, a loving grandfather, and an evangelist in Miami impacted her greatly. Through example, he taught her the value that God places on His children and that this should be her focus as well.

Above all, she loved God and was devoted to her family.

Mom was "people oriented." She led and taught us that people are more important than tasks and material things. This translated into: sharing fresh vegetables we spent days picking on the Frank and Verta Williams' farm in High Springs to those who were not as fortunate; giving away fish she caught on Sun Springs; housing rent-free a Brazilian mother in distress that, not an hour prior, she had met while walking to her car from work at Shands Hospital; teaching all of her children and grandchildren the virtue of patience in the activity of fishing while having God-centered conversations; preparing most of the main dishes for the extended family during all family gatherings; squirreling away in her family members' pockets enough cash to get them through the week during hard times. The only strings, if any, that were attached to her generosity were that we should remember from whom all blessings come: God. She reminded us that if we put Him first, all else would fall into place.

Mom was Dad's helpmate and she understood her role as the role the church has with Christ. In doing so, most of our lives, Mother was a "stay-at-home" mom. A game of Aggravation or Crazy 8s and a snack would be waiting for me just after school. She knew that it was important to engage me in this activity as a way to further her bond with me as well as to give me the "down-time" I needed after school.

Whenever trouble found its way into our hearts, it wasn't her philosophy to condemn but to listen before giving her sage advice followed by the appropriate consequence. She never berated and broke our spirit; but you knew after you got her mini-sermon, you never wanted to disappoint her again. This is long before WWJD became fashionable; it was during the period WWMD (what would mom do).

Mother, who saved up these age-appropriate trinkets of wisdom, poured out her heart in comfort to us in times of our uncertainty or distress. Anyone could go to her with his/her problems and she would commiserate and then soothe the soul. She would always have the right words supported by the right passage in the Bible. Sometimes, there would be a gentle admonishment to get the person back on track with the Lord. Nothing shocked her; she had seen it or heard it all. Her faith in Him instilled the hope she had for herself and for her family. Mom always reminded us the basic Christian principle of forgiveness and that God's plan may not be what we want, even though our plan should always be His will.

Mom relished in teaching her kids and grandchildren the art of fishing and the patience that, invariably, is a marker for a great angler. Her job was to catch them and Dad's was to clean them. Many have supped at her table full of fried fish, fried okra, hush puppies, cole slaw and cheese grits. She reveled in feeding as many as she could comfortably fit in their river house during special occasions. Her favorite was Thanksgiving. Getting up in the wee hours of the morning to start the turkey and to prepare nearly all the vegetable dishes with a few favorite desserts for her grandchildren, I've have seen her tirelessly labor so that memories were made. Family meant everything to her; she would sacrifice to be with all of us. This was her joy.

Mom could be opinionated and even though she understood life's grey areas, she always supported doing right in the sight of our Lord. You always knew where you stood with her. Colossians 4:5-6 comes to mind:

"Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

I wish the world could have known what a beautiful spirit Mom had; I find comfort in the fact the God does.

Her first granddaughter, Amanda, shares this (2 May 2015):

"It's been a month since my precious Nana was taken home and not a moment passes without thoughts of her. I play over and over in my mind her voice saying "Hey Chickadee"... There are countless, amazing things I could say about her but those who knew her (even for a second) know just how incredible she was.

"When a stone is dropped into a lake, it quickly disappears from sight- but the impact leaves behind a series of ripples that broaden and reach across the water. In the same way, the impact of one life lived for Christ leaves behind an influence for good that touches the lives of many others" -Unknown Author

Nana's unwavering love for Christ and unconditional love for those around her will continue to inspire all that knew her. She will endlessly be in my heart and on my mind... Until we're together again."

We miss her so much but are grateful to our heavenly Father who loves her more than we do and has decided her job on this earth is done. She is no longer suffering with physical ailments, being released from her earthly body.

Below is the obituary that we wrote for her:

Jonnie Sue Kelley - age 77, peacefully went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on March 31, 2015. She was born on July 5, 1937 in Miami, Florida to William Ellis Gattis and Sue Laurene Prevatt and graduated Miami Edison High School in 1955. From 1956 through 1958, Jonnie Sue attended Harding College in Searcy, Arkansas where she met the love of her life, Glenn Dean Kelley, Sr. After marrying on June 8, 1958 in Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, Florida, she and Glenn settled in Archer, Florida in the early 1960s. In 1972, the family moved to Gainesville. After Glenn's retirement from John R. Kelly Power Plant in 1992, they made their final move to Sun Springs, Florida.

Jonnie Sue worked most of her life as a secretary for various medical departments of Shands Hospital, namely: Biochemistry, Plastic Surgery, Pediatric and Adult Endocrinology. Later, she was the secretary of First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville.

One of Jonnie Sue's God-given talents was that of a social nature. She loved people and served others as Christ taught. She would never turn down an opportunity to be inclusive or to come to the aid of someone, instilling this Christian value in her children and grandchildren. Jonnie Sue was a faithful member of University City church of Christ in Gainesville and Midway church of Christ in Bell. She was an integral part of her family and friends, who sorely miss her.

Jonnie Sue is survived by her dear husband, Glenn Dean Kelley, Sr.; son, Glenn Dean Kelley, Jr. (Mary) of Gainesville; daughter; five grandchildren: Amanda L. Gravine (Frankie), Amber L. Faulkner (Steve), Jonathan D. Kelley, Olivia and Samir; four great-grandchildren: Jordan, Anna, Tyler, and Ally. She is preceded in death by her step-granddaughter, Emily E. Cook.