Adam and Kristy Kelly
A community thrives simply because of the people that live in it. It is about feeling connected. It is about feeling loved. It is about feeling support. All these things come from the community members and their willingness to give and do good.
Kristy Kelly was born to George Brooks and Nancy Hahn and grew up in Mishawaka, Indiana. She attended Penn High School where she participated in theatre production and managed the girls’ basketball team. During high school, she was also involved with her church youth group.
Adam Kelly was born and raised in Salem, Indiana by parents Dan Kelly and Val Kelly. He attended Salem High School where he was involved with French club, was the treasurer for Honor Society, and a member of the President’s Club. He loved sports in school, his favorite being football. His time playing was unfortunately cut short by an injury his sophomore year. While in high school, Kelly was also very interested in political science and public affairs. He spent one year in school interning with then Mayor Doug Campbell.
Kristy had grandparents that lived just outside the city of Salem. From age 6 until age 16 she spent summers living with them in Little York. “ I was very close with them.” She said. “I always looked forward to summer.”
She got plugged in to the community in many different ways. She was a leader of the 4H Goat club for 9 years, a member of the 4H Extension Board (4 years as President), and an important part helping with Relay 4 Life and the survivor dinner. “I was never involved in my community in Northern Indiana,” she said. “Here, it was just different.”
Her time in Salem also allowed her to make connections with the local veterinary offices. “I’ve known that I wanted to be a vet since I was in kindergarten” she remembers. Working at Salem Veterinary service during summers while staying with her grandparents helped lead to the decision of pursing a bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University following high school graduation.
Although Adam and Kristy were not at the same school, they were both high school graduates of the class of 2000. Following his graduation, Adam decided to attend Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, to study Public and Environmental Affairs. While studying, he also spent time working as a cook from 2003-2006. Most notably he was the Head Chef at the Scholar’s Inn in Bloomington. While at school, his grandfather had a heart attack. He left Bloomington and returned to Salem to help with the family business.
Adam was back in Salem and decided to switch things up and to pursue a legacy career path. In 2008, he graduated from the Mid-America College of Funeral Service as the Salutatorian of his class. In 2009, he received his mortuary license and is currently a licensed Indiana Funeral Director, a member of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association, a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, and the Federated Funeral Directors of America. He works for Dawalt Funeral Home where his dad served as president and vice-president for almost 50 years.
Purdue University has one of the top veterinary programs in the country. When Kristy completed her degree, it was less a matter of if she would get a job and more of a concern about where. “I really enjoyed working in Salem when I visited my grandparents but I thought I would only be here for a couple of years,” she said. “It made sense to come back once I began meeting people and getting involved (in the summers).”
