Ida Arminda Kelly Wilson

Ida Arminda “Mindy”( Kelly) Wilson (3/17/1942 – 12/25/2023) Age 81. Surrounded by her loved ones and the calming embrace of our lord, Mindy departed on her final journey Christmas morning.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, January 13th at 1p.m. at Bagdad Church of Christ located at 1015 Salt Lick Creek Rd. Pleasant Shade, TN.

Mindy was born March 17,1942 in Amburgey, KY, to the late Howard Bennett Kelly Sr. and Eliza (Hall) Kelly. Mindy and her family later moved in 1955 to Georgetown, IN. She was one of 14 children.

Mindy moved to Nashville,TN. In the early 60’s. Determined to make it on her own and no stranger to hard work, Mindy immediately started working as a waitress. It didn’t take long before Mindy’s selflessness and compassion towards others would guide her to help many other women grow into the beautiful women they are today.

Words could never capture the full beauty that Mindy embodied. She had a heart of gold, a gentle soul, a passion to make everyone around her feel loved and welcomed, and an aura that made others gravitate towards her. In the saddest of times, she somehow knew the right thing to say to help those with even the most doubt believe that everything would be okay. Mindy was not afraid of the journey she knew was within arms reach, but her heart ached for her miracle daughter and her beautiful grandchildren.

Mindy had enough love and compassion to raise a village, the lord blessed her with a bonus son that she took in at the age of 10 and raised as her own, and one miracle daughter in her early 40’s. Against the advice of the doctors to terminate her pregnancy with her miracle daughter Sara, Mindy moved forward with her pregnancy, trusting and leaving it in God's hands. Mindy would raise her only biological child to be as loving, compassionate, and selfless as she was. The joy Mindy saw looking at Sara in her last days, gave her a sense of peace. She knew that Sara’s eyes were filled with pain, but it would only last a moment. She made sure Sara was equipped to get through all the emotion in the hard days to come and Sara would be able to comfort others during this time, because she knew her mother would be going home to be with the Lord. No longer in pain, no longer struggling to push through another day, no longer in limbo. Mindy found full peace and comfort, lying comfortably at home, hand and hand with her miracle child, “her mini-me”.

She is survived by her daughter, Sara Turner(Nicholas Daniel Turner) 4 grandchildren, Niki Jayden Turner, Makenzie Nicole Turner, Tanner Gay, and Destinee Turner, 2 brothers, Robert Vaughn Kelly, Curtis Bernard Kelly and 3 sisters, Hilda Faye Burns, Eliza June McCoy, and Karen Lynn Kelly. She was preceded in death by her adopted son,Benjamin Ray Lee, 2 sisters, Anna Marie Kelly, Virginia (Kelly)Hall, 6 brothers, Kenneth Kelley, Bernard, Kirby, Dean, Howard and Wayne Kelly. 

As we move forward, we ask that everyone help Sara and her family stand strong in knowing the love that Mindy so passionately moved through the world, is now filling the heavens.

Miss me today, Miss me tomorrow

But don’t dwell in your sorrows

See, my journey may have ended but yours has just begun.

So miss me, but only a little.

Smile as you remember the love we shared

Smile as you smell cakes baking in the air

Smile knowing that I will never truly leave your side

Smile knowing you are the best parts of me all wrapped in one!

Miss me today, Miss me tomorrow

Promise you will not dwell in your sorrows

Your journey is long and filled with so much light.

December 25th doesn’t mark death but new life.

A new life for you to shine bright

A new life to pass on all you know,

A new life to cherish every moment to come.

So miss me, but only a little.

Author: Kristina Quarles