Anthony Jeremiah Kelly

ObituaryDestined to be a "Servant of God and a friend to men," Anthony Jeremiah Kelly was born to Ruth Kelly on July 29, 1948.Being reared to love the Lord and growing up attending the Pilgrim's Rest Missionary Baptist Church and understanding who God is and what life in Christ meant, it was prophesied early that he would one day become a preacher.Determined to be anything other than what God had destined for him, he matriculated, sparingly through the public school system in St. Louis, Missouri, but the call of "street life" beckoned him and he enjoyed that much more than the discipline ofschool or becoming a "church boy." With that allurement however, were consequences and he paid dearly for his rebelliousbehavior.He married at an early age and to this union was born a daughter, Nicole Kelly. This event in life made him aware of theresponsibilities of parenthood and family. Bethlehem Steel in Gary, Indiana, employed him, and then later, when he lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, he was employed by the "Pop Shop" Bottling Company. This particular job led to a transfer to sunnyCalifornia where he resided in Fullerton until returning to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1980 to be close to his mother, who had be-come ill.Spiraling out of control, and to put it in his words, "I was on a course of self-destruction," he found himself one day on his knees in a doorway on Union Boulevard in St. Louis pleading with God to save him from himself.Little did he realize at that time, God had never left him but was true to His word in Jeremiah 29:11 - He knew the plans He hadfor him.One Sunday evening, Anthony was invited to attend an evangelistic meeing held in Kirkwood, MO. Because he had promised two of the Bible workers he would meet them as a certain time in front of the church, he tried to keep his word. When they werelate, he felt he was off the hook and left the designated spot. God's fate for him was in full swing. As he stood in the midst of acrowd of people, he heard his name being called out, "Tony." Those Ambassadors of God, the Bible workers, had found him. He couldn't explain how, but they saw him in the midst of the crowd. He did not know that this invitation and their presistence wouldbe so phenoumenal for him. After hearing the message on The Seven Last Plagues, his decision was sealed and he willingly continued to attend the services each evening for a week. When the appeal was made, he determined to go all the way with Christ and wasbaptized into fellowdhip of the Seven-Day Adventist Church on May 29, 1981.On June 19, 1982, he was wed to the former Marva Thomas, the pianist for the evangelistic service where he joined the Seenth-DayAventist church. Together they formed a very close-knit "blended" family, giving them three children, Nicole, Alfred and Stephanie. Tothis family unit was added another daughter, Antonaya.We rejoice and celebrate as we thank God for a life well lived. As "A Servant of God and a friend to man" rests, he leaves his loving Mother, Ruth Kelly Lunnie, his devoted wife of 32 years, Marva Kelly, daughter Nicole VanHook, son, Alfred Thomas, III, daughter, Stephanie "Mo" Scott (Anthony), and daughter Antonaya; eleven grandchildren and one great grandson, a brother-in-law Saadat Ahmad(Dhameera), many nieces and nephews and countless grateful lives whom he touched.Interment:St. Peters CemeteryLucas Hunt RoadSt. Louis, MO 63121 .