Kelly, Harry Lockery “Cookhouse” – 18782-1951

HAND, HANKE, KELLY, WORMLEY

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:30

Harry Kelly Dies at Hospital Last Night
Widely Known Newton Circus Man Injured In Crash on Sunday
“Cookhouse Kelly” is dead.
“Cookhouse Kelly,” the man who brought the drama and color of the circus sawdust ring to so many people, died shortly before midnight last night from injuries received in an auto accident Sunday.
Harry Lockery Kelly was 78 years old. He received broken ribs and a chest injury in an auto crash while riding with his nephew, Joe Hand, Sunday afternoon one mile east of Ainsworth. The accident happened at an intersection when a car drove through a stop sign and crashed into the side of the Hand auto.
The two men were taken to a hospital in Washington. Monday Mr. Hand was transferred to Mercy hospital in Iowa City and Mr. Kelly was brought to Skiff Memorial hospital in Newton.
Mr. Kelly received his “Cookhouse” nickname from 30 years in the circus business. He was a steward for circus commissaries and had the job of feeding the circus people.
Circuses he was associated with included the Hagenback-Wallace, Yankee-Robinson, John Robinson and the Gentry Brothers Dog and Pony Show. All of them were circuses well-known in the old show days.
For many years “Cookhouse” operated his own show out of Newton, the Lockery Brothers Uncle Tom’s Cabin Show. His group travelled the Midwest in horse-drawn wagons then.
Mr. Kelly was known for 100 miles around Newton for his talks on the old circus days. He gave his talks and showed his circus posters to many clubs and organizations in this area, and would loan his posters to groups which put on programs built around a circus theme.
Made Visits
When circuses visited Newton “Cookhouse” would drop in and renew acquaintances. A top hand on the calliope, Mr. Kelly would often be invited to play the old time instrument at the shows. When the Daily Brothers circus was here in 1948, the show people dedicated one program to Mr. Kelly and the retired performer showed them he could still make the calliope sing.
They say that “Cookhouse” Kelly had the circus in his blood from the time he was born in Tipton, Ia., on Oct. 21, 1872. His parents were William and Martha Kelly, and his father was a Civil War captain.
Mr. Kelly attended schools in Tipton, but graduated from high school in Omaha when the family moved there. He was a high school football star, and talked with pride of the record his son, William S. Kelly, made on football squads at the State University of Iowa over 30 years ago.
The Kelly family later moved to Newton where in 1896 Mr. Kelly was married to Lula Elaine Wormley, who preceded him in death in 1929. The couple lived in Omaha until 1914 when they moved back to Newton.
A year following her death, Mr. Kelly left the sawdust trail to operate gasoline service stations in Newton. At the time of his death, he operated Kelly’s Trading Post, one mile north of Newton on Highway 14. He roomed at the home of Mrs. C. A. Snow, 103 Third avenue East, these last years.
As a young man he umpired baseball and was invited by the big leagues to go to work for them, but turned them down for the circus. He was an old friend of Charles Comiskey who headed the Chicago White Sox.
Organizations that Mr. Kelly belonged to included the Masonic lodge, Elks, Moose and Woodmen of the World. He was also a member of the State University “I” club, a membership he treasured because of his son’s athletic activities at the school.
Mr. Kelly was also noted for his novel Christmas cards which were always built around a circus theme.
He is survived by the one son and three grandchildren, all of Minneapolis. Besides his wife and parents, he was an only child; he was preceded in death by one daughter, Mrs. Patience Hanke.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at two o’clock at the First Congregational church with Rev. J. Wesley Pierson officiating. Burial will be in the family plot in the Wittemberg cemetery.
Morgan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Source: Newton (IA) Daily News; February 1, 1951, page 1

Hold Services for H. L. Kelly This Afternoon at Two
Funeral services for Harry L. “Cookhouse” Kelly, 78, were held today at two o’clock in the First Congregational church with Rev. J. Wesley Pierson officiating.
Mr. Kelly, who spent 30 years of his life in the circus business, died late Wednesday night in Skiff Memorial hospital, as a result of injuries he received in an auto accident Sunday afternoon.
Pallbearers were Robert Mahan, Ernest Zeug, Elmer Watkins, Guy Simpson, Clarence Ritter and Vernon Lansrud. On the flower committee were Mrs. Lee Hanke, Mrs. Ivan Woodrow and Mrs. Vernon Lansrud.
Marion Welle, soloist, sang during the services, accompanied by Mrs. Wayne Hesson.
Services were in charge of the Morgan Funeral Home, and burial was in the family plot in the Wittemberg cemetery.
Source: Newton (IA) Daily News; February 2, 1951, page 1