Kelly, Bernard (1830-1904)

KELLY, CLARK

Posted By: Leanna Ihde (email)
Date: 2/21/2016 at 03:17:43

Published in the Daily Freeman Tribune, Webster City, Iowa, October 3, 1904:

Bernard Kelly, one of the pioneer settlers of Hamilton county, and one of our best known citizens, died very suddenly at 3:30 o'clock this morning at his home, corner of Boone and Des Moines streets. No funeral arrangements have been made as one of the children has not been heard from. Mr. Kelly had been ailing for a month or so with kidney and heart trouble but had not been confined to his bed, nor had he been considered in a serious condition. Yesterday he felt better than usual. He was up and about the house and out to the barn and he felt more cheerful than he had for some time. At 2 o'clock this morning he had a chill and got up to take some medicine. Mrs. Kelly realized that he was very sick and sent at once for Dr. Buxton, but Mr. Kelly succumbed soon after the doctor's arrival from an acute attack of heart failure.

Mr. Kelly was one of the older settlers of the county. He came to Webster City in 1867, the year the city was incorporated, and has resided here continuously up to the time of his death. He is best known over Hamilton county as the agent of the Farmer's Insurance company of Cedar Rapids, which position he has held continuously ever since 1890. He was accounted one of the best and most reliable agents in the state and has won many prizes in competition with the Iowa agents of this company. His demise takes from the arena of life one of the most familiar figures in Hamilton county.

Deceased was 74 years of age, having been born in Ireland. In 1843 his parents and the family emigrated to Canada and settled in Ontario. Here he resided on a farm until he was twenty-four years of age, when he went on the road as a traveling salesman selling farm machinery in the summer and in the winter making collections. After five years of this he returned to farming. While a resident of Canada he married and as an issue of this marriage became the father of three children- Frank, Anna, and Maggie. Frank Kelly is now in Colorado, Miss Anna lives in Des Moines, and Miss Maggie resides in Davenport.

In 1867 Mr. Kelly and his family moved to Webster City, where Mr. Kelly purchased a farm south of this city. Here he resided until 1880 when his house burned. He has a policy in the Farmer's Insurance company and was so pleased at the adjustment of his loss, that he took the agency at that time for this company in Hamilton county and moved into the city. In 1885 he was again married to Miss Elizabeth Clark and to them have been born two children, Misses Maude and Mamie. The former is a nurse now in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, while the latter makes her home in this city. Mr. Kelly also leaves three sisters in Canada to mourn his death. Deceased was a brother of the late John L. Kelly, also a pioneer settler of Hamilton county.