BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WLOX) – The list of Mississippi candidates may be impressive, but so are the names not on the ballot.
Among them is long-time Hancock County Chancery Clerk Tim Kellar.
Kellar has been cranking out documents for 28 years.
“I always saw that the elected positions, especially in the county, as honorable positions,” he said.
Paperwork has just been the process to achieve what he has always wanted.
“I knew at an early age that my real purpose in life was to be there for people and to be able to help them in their times of need,” he said.
Kellar is in his seventh term and has served in many roles including county administrator.
He leaves at the end of this year. That means for the first time in 70 years, there will not be a Kellar in public office in Hancock County.
“It makes me especially appreciative of the people of Hancock County . . . that they’ve allowed either my father or me to be in public service,” Kellar said.
His father, Dolph Kellar, served on the Hancock County School Board for 13 years and 28 years as a supervisor.
He retired on the day his son was sworn in as Chancery Clerk for his first term.
“I signed his last check from Hancock County,” the younger Kellar said. “I’ve still got it.”
In his last year, he’s dedicated himself to clearing out old county files and reorganizing those needed to make a smooth transition for the next chancery clerk.
Retirement, he said, will be difficult.
“It won’t be easy for me to get up in the morning to realize I didn’t have the courthouse crew to look forward to seeing and the people coming in and calling on me for whatever there may be,” he said.
Sarah Cure Clark, general manager of Pearl Hotel, knows first-hand the kind of person Keller has been to her and the county.
“He’s a good family friend. He’s been a fixture and a staple in this community for countless decades. He’s a class act,” she said. “I think Mr. Keller – I don’t think, I know – that from experience he’ll do anything for absolutely anyone.”
Keller credits his staff for helping his office achieve the things that have been done.
He said he has always planned to retire when he reached the age of full Social Security. In retirement, he said he plans to spend a lot of time at his family farm in Yazoo County.
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