Catherine A. Kelley

Catherine Ann (Basan) Kelley, 91, of Kearney, died Friday, April 27, 2018 in Kearney. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9:00 am Saturday, May 5, 2018 at Prince of Peace Catholic Church. The Rev. Paul Colling will officiate. Interment will be in the Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 pm Friday at the church with a 7 pm vigil service. Memorials are suggested to St. Theresa’s Orphanage in Croatia or the family. O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home is serving the family. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Catherine Ann Kelley was born on January 27, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois to Mathew Nicolas and Mary Lucille (Crnkovic) Basan. The family moved to Omaha when Catherine was four years old. She attended St. Anthony’s Lithuanian Catholic Elementary and Sts. Peter and Paul Croatian Catholic Elementary Schools. In 1944 she graduated from Omaha South High School and that fall she attended Creighton University on scholarship. She was united in marriage to Donald Kelley on January 7, 1950 at Sts. Peter and Paul Croatian Catholic Church in Omaha. They made their home in Omaha and Bellevue until moving to Kearney in 1965. Throughout her life Catherine always loved traveling back to Omaha, Chicago and Croatia to visit her friends and family. She was also an avid bowler. She was a member of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, a past Secretary for the Croatian Catholic Union, a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union and the Croatian Cultural Society. She was also a member of the VFW and past president of the Eagles Auxiliary. Catherine is survived by her children, Daniel Kelley of Kearney, Donna Andersen and husband Tim of Kearney and Donald Kelley, Jr. of Kearney; five grandchildren, Jamie (Kelley) Schneider, Laura (Andersen) Stock and husband Lucas, Nick Kelley, Christopher Kelley and Andrew Andersen; five great grandchildren, Abby, Abigail, Catherine, Ben and June; her siblings, Mary Kreifels of Omaha, Frances Carney of Modesto, CA and Madeline Galles and her husband Dr. Joseph of Cedar Rapids, IA; her other son, Tim Unrein and second daughter, Betty Farquhar both of Kearney; special friends Jim and Grace Williams of Pennsylvania; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins of Omaha, Chicago and Croatia. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and numerous aunts and uncles from Omaha, Chicago and Croatia.

Catherine A. Kelley

January 27, 1927 - April 27, 2018