Obituary of Kelsie A Newbrough

Reverend Kelsie Ann (McDougal) Newbrough, PhD (ABD), 76, of Zion, IL passed away on April 29, 2022 at Advocate Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha, WI from the effects of Pulmonary Fibrosis. She was born December 28, 1945 in Fairmont, WV where she spent her early years. Kelsie has been a resident of Zion, IL for 49 years. Kelsie attended East Fairmont High School, Fairmont State College and Long Beach CA Community College. Kelsie had a very tender heart with a desire to help people who were under mental or spiritual duress. She also had a great desire to help couples living in distressed marriages. She and her husband worked with Divorce Care curriculum and other programs intended to heal broken hearts so people could return to active loving lives. Kelsie’s desire to help people led her to pursue a degree in counseling in her senior years. At 60 years of age, she received her Master of Arts in Clinical Christian Counseling degree from Cornerstone University. This led her to becoming a ‘Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor’ through the National Christian Counselors Association. She opened a counseling practice where she helped individuals and couples heal from the effects of unhealthy relationships and developed many close personal friends in the process. Her compassion and love will long be remembered. Kelsie enjoyed travel, especially when associated with mission trips to Thailand and China. She also enjoyed personal travel to US and world destinations that lead to a deep appreciation of other cultures. One trip to Thailand included visits to a Burmese refugee camp where she befriended a Karenni war widow with 5 children. The Karenni family was accepted for immigration to the US before Kelsie’s next mission trip to their camp, but she spent hours tracking them to their new location and then insisted she make a trip to see them. She has since made regular trips to their new home to support and encourage them. Kelsie is survived by her husband, Jerry, of 57 years, daughter, Beth (General Joe) Hilbert, Graffenwoehr Germany; sons, Jerry Newbrough Jr., Madison, WI; and Nathan (Julie Langoehr) Newbrough, Milwaukee, WI. Four (4) grandchildren; Joseph (Ann-Marie) Hilbert III, Grovetown, GA; Kathryn (Murray) Johnston, Ft. Wainwright, AK; Jack Hilbert, Hampden-Sydney, VA; and Murphy Newbrough-Garde, Madison WI. Brothers Harold (Andrea) McDougal, Greenwell Spings, LA; and Jerry (Donna) McDougal, Millsboro DE; sister-in-law, Diane McDougal, Hagerstown, MD and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister, Karen (McDougal) Bunner, and her parents, Harold and Helen McDougal. Visitation will be on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m., at Congdon Funeral Home, 3012 Sheridan Rd, Zion, IL 60099. Second visitation will be on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at 10:00 followed by a Funeral Service at 11:00 a.m., at Congdon Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Memorial Park in Zion, IL. Kelsie was very much involved in the fight against human trafficking and traveled many times to work with organizations engaged in this work. In honor of her life-long passion to offer hope to women and girls everywhere, the family is asking that donations be given in Kelsie's memory to PROJECT RESCUE through Journey Church, Kenosha, Wisconsin.