Celebrating 103 years

TIMES photograph by Annette Beard Joining Virginia A. Leach Kelly Wylie to celebrate her 103rd birthday Friday were, back from left: Jack Kelly and Bob Mader; and front, from left: Bethany Mader, Barbara Kelly, Joyce Mader, Leah Fagundes and Linda Fagundes.
TIMES photograph by Annette Beard Joining Virginia A. Leach Kelly Wylie to celebrate her 103rd birthday Friday were, back from left: Jack Kelly and Bob Mader; and front, from left: Bethany Mader, Barbara Kelly, Joyce Mader, Leah Fagundes and Linda Fagundes.

Virginia A. Leach Kelly Wylie celebrated her 103rd birthday with a cake and gospel songs Friday at Innisfree in Rogers.

Born in Cincinnati, Ark., a suburb of Siloam Springs, on March 21, 1911, Virginia A. Leach has outlived two husbands.

She married William Kelly Oct. 21, 1927. She and Bill lived in Rogers and were the owner/operators of Kelly's Neon Sign Co. until his death in 1953 from a car accident.

They were married more than 25 years and had six children -- four daughters, Dorothy Kelly Parker (deceased),Marge Kelly Hensley of Tulsa, Okla., Barbara Kelly of Bentonville and Linda Kelly of Broken Arrow, Okla.; and two sons, Jack Kelly of Pea Ridge and William (Sonny) Kelly of Bullhead City, Nev.

A few years later, Mrs. Kelly married Joseph Wylie, a Minnesota dairy farmer, and they were happily married for many years residing in California. When he retired, they moved to Kingman, Ariz. Mr. Wylie passed away in 2000 and Virginia moved to Pea Ridge to live with her son Jack and his wife Irene for awhile.

General News on 03/26/2014