Mike Kelly

KELLY

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/10/2009 at 11:34:56

Mike Kelly, is now living a retired life in Ogden. Years of active connection with business interests, the capable control of his affairs and untiring energy in the prosecution of his work led to the acquirement of a handsome competence, so that he is now enabled to rest from his labors. He has resided in this county for twenty years. He was born in Kildare county, Ireland, on April 8, 1835, and is a son of John and Catherine (Owens) Kelly, who were also native of the same county. The father followed the occupation of farming there. In the year 1848 he emigrated with his family to America, settling in New York, where he remained until the fall of 1855, when he went to Chicago, Illinois, and after spending the winter in that city he went to Boone county, Illinois, February 28, 1887. This worthy couple were the parents of eight children, the eldest being the subject of this review. John died March 16, 1857, at the age of twenty-one years. Edward, who enlisted in the Chicago regiment at the time of the civil war, was detailed for service in Verginia, where he was mustered out at the close of the Rebellion. He then enlisted in the United States Regulars and was stationed at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, while later he was transferred to New Mexico. Simon has resided in Lincoln, Nebraska, for thirty years. Patrick died in that city in the fall of 1900, after having spent a quarter of a century there. Thomas died at Walker, Iowa in the spring of 1894. Ellen became the wife of Felix McCune and died in 1897, while her husband and children are still living in Boone county, Illinois. James is engaged in mining at Cripple Creek, Colorado. All received common school educations.
At the age of twenty-one years Mike Kelly started out in life on his own account. For four years he was employed as a farm hand. Then he resolved to make a home of his own. He was untied in marriage to Miss Sarah Horton, a daughter of Abraham and Lena Horton, both of whom were natives of New York. In 1855 they removed to Boone county, Illinois, and there engaged in farming for many years. The mother died in 1867, but the father passed away in this county about 1885. The home of Mr and Mrs Kelly has been blessed with ten children: Kate, the wife of William McConley, a farmer residing at Red Cloud, Nebraska, Mary Elizabeth , the wife of P Cronin, a traveling salesman representing a firm of St Joseph, Missouri, living in Lawrence, Nebraska, Simon, who is engaged in mining in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Emma Josephine, the wife of Henry Johnson, a farmer living at Red Cloud, Nebraska, Francis Edward, who married Sarah Clavey, of Boone county, and follows farming in Beaver township, John A who is engaged in the lumber business in California, James M, a resident farmer of Beaver township, and Sarah Jane, who resides at home. Those who have passed away are William and Harvey. The children have all been provided with good educational privileges and two of the daughters are teachers in this county.
Mr Kelly has firm faith in the principles of the Democracy and has taken quite an interest in politics, keeping well informed on the issues and questions of the day. He and his family are communicants of the Catholic church of Ogden, and are actively interested in church work. He has been a very industrious and successful man, carrying his business operations to a successful conclusion. He is today the owner of a fine farm in Beaver township comprising 280 acres, which is well improved. He settled upon that tract when there was not a building between his house and Grand Junction, Iowa except the section house on the Chicago & Northwestern railroad. For may years he carried on farming and as time passed his well tilled fields brought to him a handsome return for his labor. On March 1, 1898, he gave over his farm to the supervision of his sons and removed to the village of Ogden, where he has a pleasant home and is now living a retired life. He is a very prominent citizen and no man is better known throughout this part of the county than Mike Kelly.

1902 Boone County History Book