Robert Studley Kelley, 1898-1918, West Dennis, MA

My project of writing about the children of David and Mary Ann Kelley has taken me much longer than anticipated. Nothing like the holiday season to push writing to the back burner!

Robert Studley Kelley, nicknamed Robby, was the youngest child born to David and Mary Ann Kelley. He was born in West Dennis, Mass., on 6 September 1898. His mother was 43 years old at his birth and his father was 56. He must have been named after his uncle Robert Studley. My father, Robert, was named after him. He had eight older siblings/half-siblings looking out for him. My grandmother, Milly, said he was adored by his siblings and had a fun-loving personality.

Robby Kelley ca 1917

For all of her life, my great-grandmother (his sister Ethel) kept the program from his graduation from the West Dennis Grammar School, which had a whopping seven graduates. Robby read an essay at the exercises.

He is listed in the 1900 census with his family. Robert S., born Sept. 1898, 1 year old. He is in the 1910 census with his parents and brother Harold in West Dennis. He was 11, could read, write, in school.

Robby Kelley; writing is my grandmother Milly's

Sadly Robby died on 19 October 1918, after contracting the flu during the 1918 outbreak. My grandmother said he caught it in Lowell, Mass., when visiting his fiancée Cora. He was just twenty years old and left behind a devastated fiancée, his parents and eight siblings to mourn his loss.

Robby with his fiancee Cora (last name not known)

Robby is buried at West Dennis Cemetery, in a plot with his parents and other family. His gravestone was likely quite a splurge for a family with limited funds. Most of them shared stones and some of the children did not have stones, at least none that have survived. 

Robby

Harold Leon Kelley 1892-1962, West Dennis MA to Springfield, MO

Harold Leon Kelley was born 2 December 1892 in West Dennis, Massachusetts, the fifth child of David Howes and Mary Ann Kelley.

Harry Kelley as a young man

Harold, nicknamed Harry, was very involved in the Reorganized Latter Day Saints Church as an adult, serving in various capacities including Elder.

He married Marion Goodspeed in West Barnstable on 6 May 1915, the daughter of Leslie Goodspeed and Sophia Cohen.  My grandmother Milly thought Marion was of Native American descent. They had children Harold and Mavis. He also had a son Paul, but I’m not sure if he was with Marion or his second wife.

I believe this is Marion Goodspeed Kelley on far right, with Susan Gage Kelley and Ethel Kelley Booth

Milly said that he built a house on his parents’ orchard with access from an adjoining street, so possibly was on Main Street. After Mary Ann died, he sold his parents’ home and their land on the Bass River. He also lived in Brockton and Florida, then finally in Missouri.

I believe this is Harry on the left with his brother Arthur

In the 1900 census, he’s living in West Dennis with his parents, age 7, born Dec 1892. In 1910 he is still in West Dennis, age 17, in school. In the 1920 census he’s in Brockton, 27, married, chauffer for a private family, with wife Marion, 25, and Harold Jr. age 3 10/12.

My cousin James Roscoe found his burial information on findagrave.com. He is buried at White Chapel Memorial Gardens in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri.

Harold L. Kelley, Sr.

Birth: 1892

Death: 1962

Harry's stone at Memorial Gardens source: findagrave.com

His first wife Marion is buried there also. She died 24 Oct 1989 in Bois D’Arc, MO. The information on his burial states he is buried with his wife Orville Becker, 1898 to 1977. What an unusual name for a woman. The social security death index lists her birth date as 20 June 1898, death date as 17 June 1977.   Harold Jr. is also buried at White Chapel.

Arthur Thacher Kelley, 1888-1972 Brockton to Plymouth, Mass.

Arthur was born Brockton, Mass., 23 March 1888, the third son of David Howes and Mary Ann Kelley. He was born in Brockton when his parents lived there briefly, but grew up mostly in West Dennis, Mass.

Arthur Kelley (photo from James Roscoe)

Arthur married first Susan Herrick Gage in Providence, Rhode Island on 8 October 1906. She was the daughter of Richard Gage and Hannah Ellis. They had nine children together:

Susan Gage Kelley with two of her children

1.     Ralph, who married first a woman named Olive and had a daughter Beverly. He married second a woman named Philomena. He died in South Yarmouth in 1982 at age 74.

Philomena and Ralph Kelley

2.       Ruth, who married Benjamin Roscoe and had two sons, David and Bruce. She died in South Yarmouth in 1978 at age 68. I’ve been in touch with her grandson James, who has been wonderful to exchange information with.

Ruth, Ralph and Vannie outside Ferry Street house, West Dennis

 

3.  Evangeline, nicknamed Vannie, who married Victor Shanks and had two daughters, Marilyn and Rosemary. She died in Manchester, Connecticut in 1994 at age 83.

4.     Arthur died in Brockton at age 69 in 1984. He married Mary Ann Doucette and had: Arthur, Janice, Susan, and Richard.  

Arthur and Avis Kelley

5.      Avis married John Sullivan and had one son, Dennis. She died in 1961 at age 45, leaving a son of about 10 years of age.

6.      Hazel died 1938, in Avon, at just 19 years of age, of rheumatic fever. 

Hazel Kelley 1929

7.      Virginia who died at age 5 in 1926 in Avon.

Virginia Kelley (from James Roscoe)

8.      June married Norman Willard and had a son, Timothy. She lives is Florida. 

June Kelley (from James Roscoe)

9.       Claire, who married Herbert DeMers and had: Herbert, Dennis, Donald, Cathleen. She died at age 64 in 1989 in Brockton.

Claire Kelley (from James Roscoe)

They raised their large family in Avon, Mass. Arthur was raised in the Reorganized Latter Day Saint Church, but at some point became a Baptist.

Arthur Kelley's home in Avon

According to various records Arthur worked as a wire cloth worker as a young man and then as a mail clerk for the railroad. His daughter June says he was a teacher for a time as well.

Arthur and his sister, Ethel, (my great-grandmother) were close, so I found a lot of photos of his family and old cards/letters. This led me to his daughter June, whom I met in 2000. She was so friendly and welcoming and helped me identify her siblings in some of the photos I brought with me. She was the last of her siblings living, which must be difficult for her but she maintains a very positive attitude. We’ve exchanged Christmas cards ever since.

Susan died from a stroke in September 1933 at just 45 years of age. Arthur married second Mildred Brown on 1 May 1940. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, born in 1942. Arthur married third, Ida Rogers, whose nickname may have been May, in 1968.

After his retirement, Arthur lived in South Yarmouth, Mass. on Cape Cod.

Arthur passed away 20 July 1972 at a nursing home in Plymouth, Mass. He was 84.