Karmen Cita Kelley

June 11, 1959 - May 27, 2019

Funeral services for Karmen Cita Kelley, 59, of Gilmer, will be held at 10:00 am., Friday, May 31, 2019, in the Chapel of McWhorter Funeral Home with Bro. Billy Byrd, Bro. Charles Johnson and Bro. Riley Pate officiating. The family will receive friends 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm, Thursday, May 30, 2019. Interment will be held at Rosewood Cemetery. Karmen was born June 11, 1959, to Paul and Joyce Knight, in Gilmer, Texas. Growing up, Karmen enjoyed riding her favorite horse “Hi-Jo,” being a majorette for the Union Hill Marching Band, cooking in the kitchen with her mother and spending time with close friends and family. This love of good food, friends and family remained evident throughout her entire life. Karmen spent her entire life in the Upshur County community where she lived, worked and worshiped. Karmen went to work for Upshur County at 18 years old, spending over 35 years working for Upshur County in some capacity before retiring. Most recently, Karmen was working for Union Hill ISD as their business manager. Karmen also loved her church family at Oak Hill Missionary Baptist Church where she worshipped. Karmen raised two boys, Clay and Clint Steelman, and experienced all the love and treated all the scrapes & bruises that comes with raising two very active boys. She married her husband and “soul mate” Jim Kelley on June 29, 2003 in Gilmer, Texas. Karmen and Jim enjoyed countless trips together, including the visiting of local eateries as they tried to knock different restaurants off of their “places to eat bucket list.” Good fried catfish or a ribeye seemed to top most of their lists. Karmen was also a love filled “Grammy” to her grandchildren, Savannah Joy Steelman, Colton Steelman, Nolan Steelman, Jase Steelman and “Mimi-Honey” to her youngest grandchild Cayden Steelman. Karmen’s favorite and most valuable thing in this world was being “Grammy” to these precious kiddos. Karmen passed from this life Monday evening, May 27, 2019, in Tyler, Texas after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband, Jim Kelley; sons, Clay Steelman and his wife, Becca and Clint Steelman and his wife, Heather; sister, Lana Stracener and her husband, Tommy; brother, Greg Knight and his wife, Sandra; grandchildren, Savannah, Colton, Nolan, Jase and Cayden Steelman; and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Paul and Joyce Knight; and by her stepdaughter, Crystal Kelley. Pallbearers will be Alan Miller, Jim Barton, Glen Kelley, Caleb Stracener, Michael Miller, Kevin Miller, Keith Boren and Jacob Knight. Honorary pallbearers will be the 1978 Union Hill State Champion Football team. Memorial if desired may be made to Oak Hill Baptist Church Family Life Center P.O. Box 1437 Gilmer, Texas 75644. Please visit Karmen’s on-line registration book at www.mcwhorterfh.com to leave a memory for the family.