Juanita Henthorne-Kelly, 74, of Sweet Home died March 18, 2009. She was born April 12, 1934 in Corsicana, Texas to Aaron Clifford and Lillie Lee (Weatherford) Phillips.
She married her childhood sweetheart, Elijah Henthorne, on Oct. 16, 1950 when they were both 16. They moved to Sweet Home to start their new life and family.
The Henthornes have lived in Sweet Home since 1951. She was a Southern Baptist. She loved country music, her dogs and crocheting.
She also enjoyed fishing, camping and riding around in the mountains. They raised two sons and two daughters on a ranch in Crawfordsville.
After Elijah Henthorne died, Mrs. Henthorne married Rody LeRoy Kelly on June 5, 1981. They made their home in the Wiley Creek area.
Mrs. Henthorne-Kelly is survived by her husband, Rody LeRoy Kelly; children Melissa and her husband Rick Autry, Jack Henthorne, Ron and his wife Lea Henthorne, Karen and her husband Jeremy Orr, all of Sweet Home, and Brenda Hollenbeck; stepsons Ricky Kelly, Stan Kelly and Travis Kelly; sisters Jaydean Shaw of Yuma, Ariz. And Josephine Hartwell of Bonham, Texas; 22 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and many, many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Elijah Henthorne on July 23, 1980; her parents, Aaron and Lillie Weatherford Phillips; sister Dorothy Henthorne in 2001 and brother Aaron Phillips Jr in 2007.
A memorial service was held March 24 at Sweet Home Funeral Chapel, which is handling the arrangements.