Clay Co., KS AHGP-Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties-William Kelley
Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1890
WILLIAM KELLEY. Among the snug
homesteads of Bloom Township, Clay
County, that of Mr. Kelley deserves special
mention, being located on section 4, and comprises
160 acres of choice land. He secured
possession of this as a homesteader in May, 1877.
He came to this section with a capital of $15,
the greater part of which was paid out in securing
his claim and providing himself with the necessary
things with which to commence life here.
His condition, financially, at the present is in
wide contrast to that of twelve years ago, during
which he has opened up one of the best farms in his
neighborhood and has become well-to-do. He carried
on general agriculture a number of years, in
the meantime fencing his land, erecting buildings
and planting fruit and shade trees. Later he turned
his attention to live stock, which industry is the
source of a comfortable income.
A native of Logan County, Ohio, Mr. Kelley was
born Dec. 1, 1822, and in 1844 removed thence
to Marshall County, Ind., where he was married
and of which he was a resident for eighteen years.
Later he removed to Kankakee County, Ill., where
he prosecuted farming for a period of twenty-two
years and from the Prairie State he crossed the
Father of Waters to Kansas. The father of our subject
was J. J. Kelley, a native of Fleming County,
Ky., and of Irish decent, his paternal grand-parents
having been born in the Emerald Isle. His
father was a plasterer and bricklayer by trade
and left his native State when a young man, going
into Champaign County, Ohio, where he married
Miss Elizabeth Bendure. This lady was born
in Ohio of American parents and French descent.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Kelley located
in Logan County where the father followed his
trade until the spring of 1840. Then with his little
family he removed to Marshall County, Ind.,
where he died when nearly one hundred years old.
He was a Democrat in politics and a member of the
United Brethren Church. The wife and mother
survived her husband four years, dying when about
ninety-five years old. She was a member of the
same church as her husband and active in the performance
of her religious duties.
The subject of this sketch was the second child
in a family of seven daughters and two sons, seven
of whom are living, all married and with families
of their own. In Marshall County, Ind., William
met his fate in the person of Miss Lovisa Bendure,
to whom he was married on the 4th of
August, 1844. Mrs. Kelley was born in Ohio,
Dec. 2, 1828, and was taken by her parents to
Michigan when quite young, where she grew to
womanhood. Later the family moved to Marshall
County. Ind., where she lived two years and until
her marriage. Her father John H. Bendure, was
a native of Ohio, and of French ancestry. He was
a farmer by occupation, and married Miss Nancy
Cochran in Greene County, Ohio. Mrs. Bendure
was a native of Kentucky and of Irish ancestry on
the mother's side and was reared in Kentucky.
She passed away prior to the death of her husband
at the age of about fifty years. The latter died in
Marshall County, Ohio, at the age of fifty-six.
Both were members of the United Brethren Church
and were most excellent and worthy people, honest
and upright in their lives and highly respected by
all who knew them.
To Mr. and Mrs. Kelley there have been born thirteen
children, seven of whom died young. Their eldest
living child, John H. married Miss Ella Koontz
and is farming in Clifton Township, Washington,
County; Marietta is the wife of Edward De Crow,
and they reside on a farm in Coffey County, Kan.;
Rufus B. married Miss Eva Survine and they
live on a farm in a Bloom Township, Clay County;
Peter married Miss Laura Shearer and is fanning
on land belonging to his father in Bloom Township.
Emma, Mrs. William Blosser, lives with her
husband on a farm in Republic. County; Ida is the
wife of William Hileman, a farmer of Bloom Township.
Mr. and Mrs. Kelley occupy a good position
socially in their community and Mr. Kelley, politically,
votes the straight Democratic ticket.
The snug homestead of Mr. Kelley will be found
fully represented by a well-executed lithographic
view on another page, and is in all respects indicative
of the enterprise and industry of its projector.