Mary Nell Kelso-Darrohn

Mary Nell Kelso-Darrohn, born Mary Nell Winters, came into the world on August 10, 1935, in Benton City, TN, to parents Edward and Nannie Winters.

Mary grew up in rural Tennessee, and she never forgot her childhood of roaming on the farm and admiring the plentiful hills. At the end of WWII, when Mary was 10, her family moved to Chicago. There she lived out the rest of her childhood years and graduated from Chicago Christian High School. After earning her diploma, she started working at the telephone company AT&T. While working there, she attended courses offered by the company, through which she became an engineering manager.

She married her boyfriend of 4 years, Al Kelso, on November 26, 1955. They lived happily together, moving to Florida in 1984 when Mary retired from AT&T. Al sadly passed away in April of 1993, and Mary had to adapt to life without him. A major change was that she had to learn to drive; in her words, “ I was devastated!”

In November of 1996, Mary went on a trip to Key West, where she met Don Darrohn. They were married on March 26, 1997. They enjoyed traveling and going on cruises together. Don sadly passed away on February 15, 1999.

Mary was not alone for too long, as she received a small furry package - Muffin - who became her constant companion. They moved to Heritage Springs in September of 2002. There, she loved to do crafts, and always welcomed a good book.

Some words of wisdom Mary lived by were: “We are here, we are there, and soon we will be in the air”.

Mary passed away on July 30, 2025, in Pasco County, Florida.