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, Bonnie Bell. Their father, Lorenzo, died from typhoid fever when the twins were only 2, just 3 months after Bonnie’s birth.
in the 1900 Census his mother listed wash woman as her occupation, with Emma and the twins at school. It’s unclear where 9 year old Bonnie was or why she wasn’t listed with the rest of the family. Emma’s mother died in November of 1900 and the same month she married widower William DeWitt. She added another daughter to the family in October of 1901. William also died soon after and by 1908 Alice was married for a 3rd time, this time to William Gerhardt, a first generation American born in New York City to German immigrants 18 years her junior. They married in Burlington, Iowa 24 Oct 1908 when Lee was 19. Two years later Lee married Phoebe Kathryn “Katie” Sansom in her parent’s home in Keokuk.
Lee worked as a Machinist in a Box Factory in the 1910 Census, renting a home in Keokuk. A year after their marriage their first son, Henry Leroy Kelly was born 31 March 1911. This is Christopher’s paternal grandfather. In 1912 their second son, Ernest Bryce was born and died in infancy. Between 1913 and 1923 the couple welcomed 4 more sons and one daughter. They relocated for a short time to Davenport in 1917 but returned to Keokuk by 1920. In the 1920 census the family is living with Katie’s parents and Lee is working as an inspector. 41 year old Lee is a machinist at a can factory in the 1930 census, renting a home in Keokuk for his wife and 6 children ages 19 to 6. In the 1940 census it’s noted that the highest grade he completed was 4th grade. he is working as a machine operator, renting a home, only two teenagers left in the house. in 1950 sixty year old Lee is working as a luber machine operator in a cereal company, an empty nester now.
Lee’s wife Katie died in 1966 at the age of 76. Lee lived on for another decade, dying in Keokuk 7 April 1976.
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