Mrs. Willowdean Virginia (Kelly) Niccum, age 96, daughter of David E. Kelly and Cleta F. (Stewart) Kelly, was born on June 5, 1927 near Florence in Switzerland County, Indiana and passed away at her home in Ohio County on May 4, 2024.
Willowdean lived with her parents and brother in Ludlow, Kentucky for the first three years of her life and the rest was spent in Switzerland and Ohio Counties. She attended grade school at Quercus Grove and graduated from Patriot High School in 1944.
She was united in marriage to Ralph L. Niccum on July 31, 1946. They operated a dairy farm for many years and raised chickens and turkeys for market. Three daughters were born to them: Karen Lee, Kathy Fay, and Ruth Ann. As the girls grew, she became a 4-H leader agreeing to take over “until they found someone else” and finally after 20 years “they found someone”! She was active in PTA at the girls schools, worked on charity fund drives, and cashiered for Ray Walton, auctioneer for 20 years.
Willowdean gave her life to Christ as a teenager and worked for her Lord in many ways. She became a member of Quercus Grove Methodist Church and transferred membership to Aberdeen United Methodist Church when they moved to the farm near Aberdeen. She played the piano for services and served as treasurer for 50 years. She made over 200 little quilts for church mission projects and area nursing homes.
She enjoyed book work, was an avid reader, and enjoyed word puzzles. (Ralph said she wrote down EVERTHING. She was very organized as evidenced by writing this, her own obituary with fill in the blanks with dates and places.) She liked to bake cookies for and with the grandkids and great-grands.
As her health failed and she became frail, she was lovingly cared for at her home at her request by her daughters, grandson Andy and his wife Patty, grandson Danny, granddaughter Jo, and great-great-grandson Eli.
Willowdean is survived by her daughters, Karen Owen and her husband, Vincent of Aberdeen, Indiana and Kathy Niccum and her companion, Dave Kruse of Aberdeen, Indiana; her grandchildren, Andy McKinley and his wife, Patty, Chanda Hart and her companion, Jesse Covington, Danny Hunt and his wife, Bridget and Lauren Jo Mayer and her husband, Jason; her great-grandchildren, Joshua Turner and his companion, Bridget, Jacob Turner and his wife, Shanda, Lane Hart, Kelli Hart and her companion, Trisston Hayes, Ryan Hart, James McIntosh, Alice Mayer and Henry Mayer; her great-great-grandchildren, Eli Turner, Coltyn Turner, Lanie Fangman, Ashtyn Fangman, Dahlia Fuson, Magnolia Turner, Heidi Koerner, Trinity Moore and Emily Moore; her sister-in-law, Doris Niccum of Harrison, Ohio; her nieces, nephews and a host of relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, David E. Kelly and Cleta F. (Stewart) Kelly; her husband, Ralph L. Niccum; her daughter, Ruth Ann Hunt; her son-in-law, Ernie Hunt; her brother, Lewis Kelly Sr. and his wife, Virginia Kelly.
Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street, Vevay, Indiana 47043.
Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 1:00 p.m., by Pastor Roger Parrott at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street, Vevay, Indiana 47043.
Interment will follow in the Vevay Cemetery, Vevay, Indiana.
Memorial contributions may be made to Aberdeen Community Church. Cards are available at the funeral home or online at www.haskellandmorrison.com