[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 143 (Monday, September 9, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1105-E1106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN CELEBRATION OF MR. ROBERT F. KELLEY, SR.'S 100TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 9, 2019

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to extend my 
sincerest congratulations and Happy Birthday wishes to a true man of 
God and public servant, Mr. Robert F. Kelley, Sr., who celebrated his 
100th birthday on Wednesday, August 14, 2019. He celebrated this 
milestone with family and friends on Saturday, August 17, 2019, at 5:00 
p.m. at The Cunningham Center located on the campus of Columbus State 
University in Columbus, Georgia.
  Robert F. Kelley, Sr. was born on August 14, 1919, in Ellaville, 
Georgia as the fourth of six children to the late Will Lee and Littie 
Hardison Kelley. The values of Christian discipleship, hard work, and 
education were instilled in Robert at a young age. Although his studies 
in the Chatahoochee County Public School System were cut short because 
he had

[[Page E1106]]

to assist his father in tending to the needs of the family farm, he 
remained passionate about learning. Consequently, as an adult, he 
continued to learn and prepare for his future employment opportunities, 
such as the United States Civil Service, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, 
and the Muscogee County School District.
  On April 27, 1939, at the age of 19, Robert married the love of his 
life, Flossie McCray. They were faithfully married for 56 years until 
Flossie's passing in 1995. Over the years, they were blessed with eight 
children: Zelma (deceased), Robert, Jr., William, Carolyn Ann, Shirley, 
Doris, Dorothy, and Rosalyn; 14 grandchildren; and 10 great-
grandchildren. As doting parents, Robert and Flossie always created a 
nurturing environment of unselfish love, encouragement, and values to 
carry their children, grandchildren, and a host of other family members 
through life.
  In addition to being a committed family man, Mr. Kelley is also a 
proud Veteran who served his country during World War II, receiving an 
honorable discharge in 1944. His service was a true testament of his 
devotion to his country, as African-American soldiers during this time 
were in a segregated Army and fought in a war with limited chances of 
receiving a promotion or even an acknowledgment.
  After his distinguished military career ended, Mr. Kelley continued 
to contribute to his community. On September 29, 1944, he became a 
member of the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia and 
served over many years in several leadership capacities including 
Chairman of the Deacon Board, Chairman of the Trustee Board, Church 
Clerk, Financial Secretary, Boy Scout Leader, and Tribe Leader. He 
continues to serve to this day.
  Ecclesiastes 9:11 says ``The race of life is not given to the swift 
nor to the strong, but to those who endure until the end.'' Robert F. 
Kelley, Sr. has run the race of his life with zeal and dignity. As 
patriarch of his family, the legacy of the exemplary life he has led 
stands as a guiding light for the Kelley family and generations yet to 
come. God has blessed him for over 100 years and for that, and the 
lives he has touched, we can only say ``To God be the glory!``
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of 
Representatives to join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with the almost 
730,000 people of Georgia's Second Congressional District, in honoring 
an outstanding citizen, family man, and man of God, Mr. Robert F. 
Kelley, Sr., for a lifetime of dedicated service to his family, his 
community, and his Nation. We extend our best wishes and God's 
blessings to him on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

                          ____________________