Mary Ann Kelley White

Mary Ann Kelley White, 90, of Hamburg, entered the pearly gates of Heaven on Friday, September 8, 2023.   Mary Ann was born in Promise Land on February 1, 1933. She was a resident of Hamburg all her life and a 1951 graduate of Hamburg High School. She began her career working at the Ashley County Abstract office in 1952. In 1957, she began working at the Ashley County Courthouse for Roby Hollis and in 1972, was elected Ashley County Clerk, where she served two terms. Mary Ann worked at Hamburg City Hall, first in the water department and then as City Clerk from 1980-1987. After her retirement from County/City government, she enjoyed working at Jones Flower Shop in Hamburg for 3 ½ years. In retirement, she was busy traveling, playing cards with her friends, and working in her yard. Mary Ann was one of the first members of the Gardner Baptist Church, when First Baptist Church founded it in the early 1960s and had just recently moved her membership back to Hamburg First Baptist Church when she could no longer drive. If you were lucky, you would get a batch of her famous peanut brittle during the Christmas season and she would make over a 100 batches to give to her friends and family. The children of the subdivision always knew they were welcome to go to Mary Ann’s and get a popsicle. She always kept an immaculate yard and house, was plain-spoken and a friend to everyone she met.   

Going before her were her parents, Arthur and Sallie Brooks Kelley, a brother, Willie Claude Kelley and his wife, her best friend, Martha Sue, and her former husband and friend, Buddy White.

She is survived by one son and her pride and joy, Chuck White and wife, Janet; a brother, Bobby Joe Kelley and wife, Pat, all of Hamburg; four grandchildren, Colby White, Emily Berryman, Nik Wood, and Rayne Welch; five great-grandchildren, Cashden White, Rhett Berryman, Blaise White, Raelee Berryman, and Aiden Wood “two of the best nieces in the world”, Jana Evans and Melinda Long; a nephew, Chris Kelley and a host of other family and countless friends.

The family would like to publicly thank her caregiver for the past couple of weeks, Stacey McCloud, and Hospice Home Care for their compassion, love, and excellent care.

Funeral services are 2 p.m., Sunday, September 10, 2023, at the First Baptist Church with Bro. Robin Allen and Keith Long officiating. Burial will be in the Promise Land Cemetery. Pallbearers are Nik Wood, Javan Long, Garrett Kelley, Nick Kelley, Bon Bergeron, Zack Berryman, Aaron Flemister, Josh Pierce and Austin Fitts. Honorary pallbearers are Johnny Pierce, Chris Kelley, Sam Evans, Mike Richard, Stan White, Jeff Myers, Brent Harrod, Ricky Knight, Bobby Griffin, Casey Riley, Mike Riley and Ashton Jones. Memorials may be made to the Promise Land Cemetery Association, c/o Lindsey Brooks, 427 Ashley Road 70, Hamburg, AR 71646. 

Visitation will be 6-8 p.m., Saturday at the funeral home.