Mrs. Nettie Kellam Desmond transitioned to her heavenly home on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at the Hospice Home of Rockingham County in Wentworth, North Carolina.  Graveside services will be held on Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 1:00 at Greenview Cemetery, Montgomery Street, Reidsville, North Carolina.  Public viewing will be held on Friday, May 14, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at McLaurin Memorial Chapel.

Mrs. Nettie Surfronia Kellam Desmond of Reidsville, NC was born in Thorpe, West Virginia on February 6, 1922 to the late Jessie and Roxie Roberts Kellam of Reidsville, NC.  Nettie was the third of nine children.

Nettie was a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, Reidsville, NC, Class of 1941.  She attended the Good Samaritan Nursing School in Charlotte, NC for two years.  After deciding on a new career focus, she moved to New York City where she worked as sales assistant for a manufacturing company.  There, Nettie met and married George Desmond of Bronx, NY and they lived there for many years before retiring to North Carolina in 2005.

Nettie was a faithful member of the Galilee Pentecostal Holiness Church of Reidsville NC, where she was the oldest member and represented Galilee in 2014 at the "NAACP Mother of the Year Pageant".   She enjoyed attending the Sunday services until the Covid restrictions were applied.

"Aunt Nettie" as she was affectionately called, was the matriarch of the family and was always there to help whenever needed, giving advice or financial assistance.  Her nieces and nephews all loved and respected this kind, gentle and generous lady.  Although Nettie never had children, she was the "adopted" maternal grandmother to her late sister's (Bertha Mae) grandchildren, Carmie and James Elmore.

Nettie was active in the Reidsville Senior Citizens, attending the monthly meetings and participating in many of their trips.  She enjoyed traveling and even in her nineties, she enjoyed many trips to the casinos at Cherokee and travelled to Hilton Head, SC; Myrtle Beach, SC; Carolina Beach, NC; Long Island, NY; Washington, DC, Honolulu, Hawaii, and in 2018, she cruised to the Bahamas.

Nettie was "health conscious" before it was popular, which probably contributed to her having such a healthy life.  At 99 years of age, she had been a patient in the hospital only two times in her life – 2019 and 2021.  Nettie treasured her family and friends, was always pleasant and she enjoyed life.  When asked, "how are you?"  She always replied, "I'm fine."

Preceding her in death were:  her husband, George Desmond; sisters - Dolphus Stubblefield (Morris), Bertha Mae Macklin (James), and Lois Pritchett (Paul); brohers – John Kellam (Gladys), Sylvester Kellam, Jesse Kellam ,Jr. (Ruth), Thomas Kellam (Jackie) and Joe Frank "Doll Baby" Kellam; nieces – Marie Davis, Virginia Ann Kellam and Yvonne Hamlet; nephews –  Jesse Stubblefield, Lawrence Kellam and James "Tommy" Kellam, Jr.

Surviving relatives whose lives were enriched by Nettie are:  nieces – Dianne Macklin Elmore (Carmie) of Summerfield, NC, Mary O'Neil (John – deceased), of Morganton, NC, and Linda Strawn (James), of Reidsville, NC;  nephews – Paul Pritchett, Jr. (Laverne), of Reidsville, NC, David Kellam (Felicia), of Jamestown, NC, John Kellam Jr., of Eden, NC; and Julius Martin, of Winston Salem, NC; sister-in-law – Idella Kellam,  of Reidsville NC; nieces through marriage - Louvenia Stubblefield and Clarinda Kellam, both of Reidsville NC; thirteen great nieces; thirteen great nephews; twelve great great nieces; twelve great great nephews; and a plethora of other relatives and dear friends.

Ashton and Yolanda McLaurin and the staff of McLaurin Funeral Home are serving the family. Covid-19 precautions will be followed with social distancing, masks and sanitizing required.

At the designated date and time, you may connect to the Virtual services via teleconference call by dialing (701) 802-5263 and then access code 6545855# or FaceBook livestreaming via McLaurin Funeral Home's FB page.  To join via YouTube click here .