Several Honor Life Of Catoosa Man Killed During Oil Rig Explosion

People traveled from across the state Monday to say goodbye to 27-year-old Kelsey Bellah - the Catoosa native who died in an oil rig explosion Friday in southern Oklahoma.

The parking lot at the First Baptist Church of Rolling Hills was packed with off-roading jeeps of all sizes, a passion of Kelsey's.

Whether they knew him well, or just in passing, the emotion felt Monday afternoon showed Kelsey made an impact on a lot of people.

It was exactly what Kelsey would've wanted.

“He would be going wild out here, having so much fun with all these giant jeeps, and these big trucks and the camo, and all of it," said Kelsey's friend Aaron Crutchfield.

But Kelsey wasn't there, so Monday his fellow Jeep enthusiasts, or brothers as they call themselves, traveled from across the state to remember him.

“It's something we really don't plan on, but when it does come down to the grits, we're a family and as you see here, all the brothers are standing around and giving the family any kinda support we can," said Mark Adamson.

Kelsey's family needs that support, after all, the reality of his death is still sinking in.

"I cried up until the time I got here, and when I seen all these people, that's when I knew, you know what I mean, my brother made an impact on people and that's all I care about. He was positive," Kelsey's brother, Tyler Bellah, said.

12/19/2014 Related Story: Brother Of Catoosa Man Killed By Oil Rig Explosion 'Wants Brother Back'

Friends and family said Kelsey was often times misunderstood.

"He was judged based off of his tattoos, people thought he was a bad person, I don't see that. You see all these people here, this many people cannot be wrong," said Crutchfield.

During the service the pastor read a note written by Kelsey's mother.

"If he could've done anything to help anyone else on the oil rig he did. That is one thing there is no doubt about," the note read.

By judging from the crowd, there's no doubt that a lot of people are going to miss him.

"The numerous people that have showed up, the people that I don't know, the people that have took me in, hugged me and told me about my brother, it shows that there's still people out there with hearts," Tyler said.

Kelsey had only been working on the oil rig for about a month when the explosion happened. 26-year-old Gary Keenen of Ada also died.

12/19/2014 Related Story: Two Killed, Three Injured In Coal County Drilling Rig Fire

The State Fire Marshal and the Corporation Commission are investigating what happened.