Juanita Kelley (Kelley) Woody

We gather today to celebrate the homecoming of a truly remarkable soul, Juanita "Nita" Kelley Woody, a beacon of love and faith who walked among us. Born on the seventh of October in the year of our Lord, 1929, in the humble town of Grimes, Alabama, Nita embarked on a journey that spanned 94 grace-filled years. As the Lord has called her home on the fourteenth of May, 2024, we are reminded of the words of Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

Nita, a cherished sister to Max Kelley (Marsha), and an adored aunt to Murray Kelley (Martha), Greg Kelley (Ginger), Michael Kelley, Jeff Kelley (Rebeka), David Kelley (Kelly), and Jerry Kelley (Elizabeth), and a niece Kimberly Webb, along with a host of great-nieces and nephews, filled our lives with an abundance of joy and kindness. From her birthplace in Grimes, Nita's life was a testament to the virtues of love and service. She found her lifelong companion and husband, Jack Woody, in Columbus, GA and together they built a life that would eventually take root in Greeneville, Tennessee, where they remained for over four decades. Nita was a long-time member of Bridges Chapel Church of God where she was very involved in the women's ministry and in the choir.

Nita was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Woody, by her parents, Allen C. and Lupah Robinette Kelley, by her step-mother, Bertha Kelley, by her sister, Glenda Webb, and by her brother, Hollis Kelley.

Nita later moved to Dothan, where she spent her final five years, leaving behind a legacy of unwavering dedication to her community and the children within it. Though Nita and Jack were never blessed with children of their own, they poured out their love and care to the children in their neighborhood, embodying the very essence of Christian charity.

Nita's work history and association involvement, though substantial, paled in comparison to the work she did in the hearts of those she touched. Her interests were simple yet profound—conversations that warmed the heart, a faith that moved mountains, and a kindness that transformed lives. Together with Jack, she found solace in the earth, tending to their yard, nurturing the land as she nurtured the souls around her.

A celebration of Nita's life will be held at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home in Greeneville, Tennessee, on the twenty-second of May, 2024, at eleven in the morning. It is fitting that her nephews, men of God—Reverends Murray D. Kelley, Gregory D. Kelley, and Jeff Kelley—will be officiating the service, honoring a life that was a living sermon of love and grace. Nita will be laid to rest in Greenlawn Memory Gardens, where her mortal remains will sleep, but her spirit will continue to dwell in the hearts of those she loved. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on the day of the celebration, from ten to eleven in the morning, where we will share stories, laughter, and tears, remembering a life that was a gift to us all.

As we prepare to bid farewell to Nita, we are comforted by the knowledge that she lived a life of loving service. She was a good Christian lady, whose faith was as steadfast as the oak, and whose kindness was as gentle as the southern breeze. In every encounter, in every act of care, Nita embodied the love of Christ, and her life was a testament to the words of Mother Teresa, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."

Let us hold fast to the memories of Nita, a woman who was the embodiment of a loving, faith-filled, and kind servant of God. Her legacy will continue to inspire and guide us, and her memory will forever be a blessing to all who knew her. In the words of the apostle Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Indeed, Nita has done so, and now she rests in the eternal embrace of her Savior.