Thelma Lucille "Lucy" Colwell, age 88, of Leeton, Missouri passed away peacefully in her sleep with family nearby on Wednesday, November 3, 2021.

Lucy was born on July 28, 1933 in rural Jay, Oklahoma, the daughter of Carl and Metta Carpenter. She was a 1951 graduate of Seminole High School in Seminole, Oklahoma. On April 14, 1951, Lucy married her high school sweetheart, Kelly Colwell, while she was still in high school and Kelly was home on leave from the Air Force. They were stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada where Lucy worked at a wholesale grocery distributor. When Kelly was deployed to Japan during the Korean War, Lucy returned to Seminole and worked for Southwestern Bell as a telephone operator.

After Kelly's honorable discharge in 1955, they moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma. Lucy continued to work at Southwestern Bell while Kelly enrolled at Oklahoma State University and two of their children, Vic and Brenda, were born. In 1958, Lucy became a dedicated stay-at-home mom, taking care of the kids, home, and budget as Kelly began his 33-year career with Southwestern Bell in Oklahoma City. As Kelly advanced up the corporate ladder, they moved to Lawton, Oklahoma in 1963, where their son Clark was born, then St. Louis in 1966, and finally to Kansas City in 1969.

After the kids were out of the home, Lucy became a talented florist, enjoying the creative outlet and interaction with people. Social by nature, she could expertly "work a room" so everyone felt included and important. After retirement, Lucy and Kelly traveled to over 55 foreign countries on six continents. They loved camping, visiting all 50 states and every National Park in America. They also sailed on over 45 different cruises all over the world.

In 1994, Lucy and Kelly moved to their 100-acre property north of Leeton, Missouri, which they affectionately called C-Nile Acres. Lucy enjoyed the area, volunteering for years on the Leeton Fair Board and in the floral shop at the Western Missouri Medical Center. She was also an avid Kansas City Chiefs and Royals fan, and enjoyed cheering on her favorite players with her friends and family. After the passing of her husband Kelly in 2016, Lucy loved spending more time with her girlfriends in the "Dirty Dozen" bridge club and "WD-40's" coffee club. Those girls were such dear friends.

Lucy was preceded in death by her husband Kelly and daughter Brenda, and is survived by her two sons, Vic and Clark; six grandchildren, Randy (Jennifer) Colwell, Carrie Panique, Chris Colwell, Catlin Colwell, Brittney (Josh) Roth, Cara Colwell; and seven great-grandchildren, Cooper and Katie Colwell, Cameron and Caden Panique, and Alissa, Lincoln and Donovan Roth.

Lucy was a kind, generous, and caring woman; a loving mother and grandmother; and a wonderful friend. She will be dearly missed. A celebration of Lucy's life will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at Williams Funeral Chapel in Warrensburg, Missouri. Burial will be next to Kelly at Greer Cemetery, North of Leeton, Missouri.