Kelly Jo (Donlin) Polson, age 60, of Audubon, Iowa, unexpectedly passed away on the evening of September 22, 2023, in a car accident.
Kelly was born on October 24, 1962, to Gary and Sharon Donlin in Harlan, Iowa. Growing up, Kelly had a passion for music. She was a talented singer and played the piano beautifully. Kelly participated in school choir groups and was a devoted member of the religious music group Faith Sound for five years. She graduated from Harlan Community High School in 1981 and went on to study at the University of Northern Iowa.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, she went on to teach over 600 students over her 33-year career in Iowa school districts for Adair Casey, Chariton, and Harlan. Kelly’s impact on the children she taught was significant and long-lasting. Kelly spent many of her later years attending former students’ graduations, weddings, and baby showers. Kelly was also an active member of the educational society Delta Kappa Gamma/Beta Zeta for many years. She enjoyed being able to converse and collaborate with fellow educators and make lifelong friends in this group, and she was recently the co-president of the society.
On July 9, 1988, Kelly married Kevin Polson in Chariton. They were married for 19 years and had two daughters, Kayla and Keira, before divorcing in 2008. Kelly’s children were her greatest accomplishment in life. She has always been extremely proud of her favorite oldest daughter and favorite youngest daughter.
In 2018, Kelly retired from teaching and spent her retirement doing what she loved, baking sweets and spreading smiles. She worked for Waspy’s Truck Stop in Audubon, Iowa for five years. She was most notably known for her Kelly’s K Bars and her weekly Monday baking songs that she live streamed on Facebook.
The only thing Kelly loved more than her family was God. Her faith was admirable and unshakeable, but she never boasted and chose to preach the Word of God by living it out through her day-to-day interactions with people. Kelly radiated love, kindness, and joy. She was a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa, from 1998 to 2020, serving as accompanist for the church choir and sitting on church committees. For the past three years, Kelly had been an active remote member of Spirit of Life Presbyterian Church in Apple Valley, Minnesota, serving as an elder, providing her musical talents, and sitting on church committees.
Kelly was predeceased by her father Gary Donlin. She is survived by her daughters Kayla (Matthew) Millar and Keira Blackheart, mother Sharon Donlin, sister and brother-in-law Tracey and John Schnell, and her kitty Tillie.
Funeral services will be held Friday, October 6 at 11:00 a.m. at Faith Family Church in Harlan. Burial will be in the Harlan Cemetery. Visitation is Thursday, October 5 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Faith Family Church in Harlan. Pauley Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
