Author: Connie Kelly
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The Harmons- Keokuk Pioneers
John Harmon John Harmon, Chris’s 4x great grandfather died 12 Jul 1893 in Keokuk, Iowa. His obituary tells the tale: Death of a Pioneer – ObituaryDAILY GATE CITYThe Venerable John Harmon is called to his reward.Another of Keokuk’s venerable citizens has been called to his reward. John Harmon died at 3:30 o’clock yesterday morning at…… Read more
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Keokuk and Kahoka graves
Leroy Harmon and Emma (Lowder) Harmon – 3x great grandparents – parents of Alice (Harmon) Kelly (wife of Lorenzo Kelly)- son Freeman “Lee Kelly”- father of Henry Kelly and John Harmon, father of Leroy – 4x great grandfather Graves in Buena Vista Mound Cemetery in Keokuk, Iowa = 40°23’16.5″N 91°26’40.5″W off Valley Rd by the…… Read more
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Freeman Leroy “Lee” Kelly
Today is the 50th anniversary of the death of Christopher’s great grandfather, Freeman Leroy “Lee” Kelly. Lee and his twin brother John Brice was born 13 January, 1889 in Keokuk, Iowa to Lorenzo and Alice (Harmon) Kelly. Their firstborn son had died in infancy. The twins had an older sister, Emma, and a younger sister,…… Read more
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The Origins of Kate Frank
I posted a bio of Kate Frank last November that turns out to be wrong. The Kate Frank from Kirchenberg I found was not the same Kate Frank that was my 3x grandmother. I have now DNA confirmed she was the daughter of Christian George Frank and Christine Katharina Hofstetter from Adelshofen, Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.…… Read more
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Phoebe Catherine “Katie” Sansom
136 years ago today, March 4, 1890, Chris’s great grandma, Katie Sansom Kelly was born in Clark County Missouri. She was the second daughter of William Henry Sansom and Ellen Lenore (Rose) Sansom. Her father was a blacksmith/wood worker/wagon maker in Kahoka first, then Keokuk later. She married Lee Kelly in Keokuk in 1910. Lee…… Read more
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Kellogg Ancestors in America
TLDR: My 8x great grandfather, son of an English colonist, was stolen by the French and Indian soldiers, became a successful interpreter and trader , was assigned to one of the first recorded expedition to Illinois by the French, and later was reclaimed by the British, quoted in Royal Society papers, given a commission in…… Read more
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Bill Kelly
A year ago today we lost Chris’s father, Bill Kelly. He was 85. Born in Keokuk Iowa in 1939, he was the second child of Henry and Alberta (Chrisman) Kelly. He graduated from Keokuk High School in 1957 as Senior Class President and then attended Carthage College, graduating in 1961. He married Judy Perry in…… Read more
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Murder? ! ?
I came across an incredible story about the death of my 4x great grandfather. My paternal grandmother’s father was Ray Myers. His maternal grandfather was George J Byars Jr. George died on 12 Oct 1873 in Steen Township in Knox County, Indiana. George had come to Indiana from Smyth County, Virginia with his new wife…… Read more
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Dr Francis Joseph Smith / Birth name: Josephus Jacobus De Aerts
I’ve been adding my family tree to the WikiTree website which spurred me to do a bit of a deeper dive on my 6x great grandfather Dr. Francis Smith. Dr Smith is the father of by 5x ggmother Sarah Smith Shoemaker, mother of my 4x ggmother Deborah Cramer Holden, mother of my 3x ggfather William…… Read more
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My cousins General Nathanael Greene and Mary Mott
I was watching Ken Burns’ new documentary on the Revolutionary War and they mention and quote General Nathanael Greene quite often. I remembered when previously writing a post about the Greene family of Rhode Island, reading that this General was a descendant of the same family so I decided to add him to my family…… Read more