He was in the National Guard for one year and is a member of Emil Ewoldt Legion Post and the V.F.W. Post in Manning.
He is currently living in Ross and operates Beaver's Rendering Service.
On September 14, 1940, he was united in marriage with Luella Schultz at the Zion Lutheran Church in Denison. Kelly and Luella had five children and, except for his time in the service, they lived all of their lives in the Aspinwall and Manning areas.
On May 3, 1944, Kelly was drafted into the U.S. Army at Camp Dodge, Iowa. After 17 weeks of, basic training at Camp Hood, Texas, he was sent to Germany where he served in the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central European Theater of Operation as an infantryman. He received the Combat Infantry Badge, the European-African-Middle Eastern Badge with three Bronze Battle Stars, and one Overseas Medal. Kelly returned home in 1945 and received his discharge from Camp Campbell, Kentucky.
He owned and operated the Musfeldt Rendering Service for thirty years. He was an active member of the Emil Ewoldt Post No. 22 of the American Legion and VFW Post No. 3517, both of Manning.
Kelly had been in failing health for some time and died on March 25, 1984, at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of 67 years, 4 months, and 21 days. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Harry, and his grandson, Michael Musfeldt.
He is survived by his wife, Luella, Aspinwall; by five children: Diane Campbell, Bonifay, Florida, Pat Branning, Carroll, Iowa, Kathy Huston, El Cajon, California, Carla Darby, Morgantown, West Virginia, Keith "Beaver" Musfeldt, Audubon, Iowa; by 14 grandchildren: Leign Campbell, Lisa Campbell, Brent Branning, Darcy Branning, Kurt Branning, Jon Branning, Kelly Huston, Mary Huston, Heidi Huston, Amy Huston, Claire Darby, Camille Darby, Jennifer and Maggie Musfeldt; by one sister, Alice Beck, Clovis, California; by one brother, Don Musfeldt of Allentown, Pennsylvania; by a sister-in-law, Dorothea Musfeldt, Manning; by, one uncle, Rudolph Ruge, Omaha, Nebraska, and by one aunt, Nora Musfeldt, Manning.