OLD SOLDIER SUMMONED

John Kelley Answered Final Roll Call at Oregon Sunday, August 15.

Death came to Comrade John Kelley, of Oregon, on Sunday Aug. 15th at the close of a long illness and despite the skill of physicians and careful nursing, it was impossible to thwart the disease that had fastened upon him.
John Kelley was born in Windsor, Canada, Dec. 27th, 1832, and died at the family residence two miles west of Oregon, August 15th, 1915, his life having covered 82 years and 8 months.
In 1843 he came with his parents' family to Rockvale Township where the home was made for many years. March 6th, 1878, John Kelley was united in marriage with Adelia Kent at Rochelle, and of this union two daughters were born. Mesdames Mary Reed and Elsia Young, both of this locality, who with the wife and mother, mourn the death of this devoted husband and father.
Besides his own immediate family, the deceased is survived by one brother and three sisters: P. Kelley of Rochelle, Mesdames Maggie Sutphen and Nellie Coon, of Rochelle, and Mrs. C. H. March, of Dixon.
September 11th, 1862, John Kelley enlisted as a member of Co. G of Ill. Vol. and served with credit to himself and honor to his country until the close of the war in 1865, when on April 15, 1865, he received honorable discharge. During Six months of his service, he was a prisoner at Andersonville, and those who know something about that prison pen know that the boys who served time there and lived to come out did so with broken health, and this was too true with the subject of this sketch.
John Kelley was a man true and honest in all his dealings with his fellow man. He was a man whose word was never questioned. He was of congenial thoughts and regardless of his problems, never burdened his friends with a tale of woe.
The funeral was held from the late residence at two o'clock Tuesday afternoon, conducted by Dist. Supt. Jas. M. Phelps, of DeKalb, and Dr. Dunlap, pastor of the Lutheran church of this city. Burial was made at Riverview. The funeral was attended by members of the G.A.R. and Relief Corps, of which the deceased was a devoted member for many years.
Those from outside of Oregon in attendance at the last sad rites were Mrs. Sutphen, Mr. Coon, P. Kelley, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, Mr. and Mrs. Antoine and son Roy, Mr. and Mrs. John Purves, Mr. Morrissey, Mrs. Hattie Johnston and son, Oscar, Chas. Sutphen and Chas. Wade, all of Rochelle, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. March, of Dixon, Thos. Kelley and wife, of Compton, Mary Yoder, of Aurora, Anna Sanders, of Des Moines, Iowa, Bert ? of St. Louis, Mrs. Gill, Rose, George and Andrew Berry of Byron, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wilcox, Hiram Whitwood, Rockford, and Mrs. Edith Kasper, Kings. The floral tributes were many and beautiful.

From the Rochelle Independent Newspaper ~ August 26, 1915
Submitted by Dolores Young) Larson, Great Granddaughter

Return to Ogle Co. Genealogy Site