Obituary of Millard R. "Ollie" Kelchner

Millard R. “Ollie” Kelchner, 84, of Benton, and formerly Orangeville, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, March 6, 2025 at Sunset Ridge Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center where he was a patient for a short time recuperating from a fall. Born October 1, 1940 in Orangeville, he was a son of the late Donald and Dorothy Hunter Kelchner. He married Florence A. Funk of Benton on August 2, 1959. They raised their family residing on Main Street, Orangeville until moving to Benton in 1993. Ollie and Florence shared 44 years of marriage until her passing on July 22, 2004. He attended the former Scott High School before beginning employment with Magee Carpet Company. Most of his career he was a machinist and enjoyed working for McBride Machine Corporation from 1975 to 1997 in the Bloomsburg and Danville locations, and last for Crone Metal Works in Bloomsburg until retiring in 2012. He was an active member of the Orangeville Volunteer Fire Company for many years earlier in life and was was an avid train watcher and model train collector in his spare time. Ollie enjoyed daily breakfast with his friends and ordering his meal “with a smile”. He loved talking to anybody and everybody, always happy to have a conversation with a friend or a stranger. Affectionately known as Pop or Pop Pop, Ollie was extremely proud of his family and loved spending time with them whenever he could. In addition to his parents, and his wife, Florence, whom he deeply missed the past 20 years, he was preceded in death by his brother, Carl Kelchner and wife, Nancy. Surviving are his children Teresa Reichenbach and husband, Ron, of Talmar; Kenneth Kelchner, Fairmount Township; Robert Kelchner and wife, Lori, Berwick; and Patty Jo Dinelli and husband, John, Nanticoke; grandchildren; Jennifer Wagner and husband, Andrew; Angie Butrej and Daniel Acor; John (Jack) Dinelli and wife, Ashley; Rebecca Fedak and husband, Chris; Christopher Kelchner and wife, Kristen; Deanna Spencer and husband, Keith; Amy Kelchner; and Dominic Dinelli; great-grandchildren, Kylynn, Alexa, Braydon, Casey, Zachery, and Chase; a brother, Donald Kelchner and wife, Janet of Orangeville; a sister, Jean Kujawa, and husband, Thomas, San Diego, CA; and several nieces and nephews. A Funeral Service will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. from McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., 4394 Red Rock Road, Benton with the Rev. Roger C. Noss Jr., pastor of Mount Moriah Independent Community Fellowship, officiating. Viewing and visitation hours will be Wednesday from 9 a.m. until the time of the service at McMichael Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Orangeville. Arrangements are in the care of Dinelli Family Funeral Home , Nanticoke.