Charles William Kelly was born on June 26, 1931, to Beula Gaben and Charles Steven Kelly. He grew up on the homestead west of Bassett, Nebraska.
Charlie had two brothers, Les and Don, and one sister, Lucile. He attended country grade school, then graduated from Bassett High School.
Charlie joined the Air Force in 1950 and served four years. During his service, he met and married LaVonne Burd, and they had three children born to this union: Tony, Connie, and Dale.
During his lifetime, Charlie worked at Alec Olson farm doing fieldwork and working cattle. He later moved to Gordon, Nebraska, and worked at various jobs through the years. Those jobs included Ideal Market, Ford Garage, Jack & Jill, Sioux Nation, Boyers, and City of Gordon Maintenance.
After retiring to enjoy working on his cars and tractors, Charlie was one of the founders of the North Vintage Car Club. He was also involved with the Antique Tractor Club.
Charles is survived by his children, Tony, Connie, and Dale, along with seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and 1 greatgreat- grandchild.
Services for Charles will be held at the American Legion in Gordon, Nebraska, on October 24, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
Pier Funeral Home in Gordon is in charge of the arrangements.