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EDWARD KELLY &
MARGARET HELEN O'BRIEN
Summary
of descendants
Edward Kelly was born in
1824-25, in Co.
Tipperary, Ireland, he emigrated to this country in
1849. According to his Naturalization Papers (that "I Edward
Kelly, immigrated from the port of Liverpool in said Kingdom, on the
fifteenth day of April, 1849, and landed at the city of New York, in the
United States of American on the fifteenth day of June, 1849.")
Upon settling in New York City, it is
unknown what he did for a living.  We
do know that on July 6, 1851, he married Margaret Helen O'Brien in
Albany, New York, at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Margaret was born in
the county of Limerick, Ireland, December 25, 1835. She came to American
in 1850. There is a good chance she came to America with a brother John
O'Brien. According to the 1860's and 1870's census, John was living with
his sister Margaret and her husband. He was two years older then
Margaret.
According to a letter from one of
their grandson, he remember that Grandfather Edward had two sisters,
Mrs. Laughton and Mrs. Hawthorne who moved to Australia..... He also
stated that Grandma Margaret had five brothers and one sister name Mary.
He said AI always recall my parents talking of the O'Brien's in
Allamakee Co., Iowa and some of the family in Minneapolis.
In 1852 they moved to
Kane Co., Illinois where there was already a large Irish settlement,
Edward was employed on the Old Galena Illinois Central System. In June
1864 they came over land with four young children, in a covered wagon,
which was then the popular means of travel. They came to Palo Alto
County, and took up a homestead on a farm southwest of Emmetsburg, Iowa.
In the Palo Alto County, Land Records/Homestead Book, [Webmaster's
note add Copies of Original Entries], It states that Edward Kelly
first applied for a homestead in Twp. 95/Range 33 (Emmetsburg twp.),
Section 26, on September 13, 1864, and got the patent in January 25,
1871, on 160 acres. The 1870 census show that Edward and Margaret had
real estate vales at $800.00, and personal estate at $500.00. Edward was
a farmer for many years.
Then in 1878 he built
their home in Emmetsburg and lived there until his death on October 27,
1898. His wife Margaret was one of the pioneer housekeepers of Palo Alto
County and she was known far and wide for her sociability and her warm
heartiness, and she was a devoted Catholic.
Margaret died on January
10, 1914 at the age of 79. She died at the home of her daughter Mrs. T.B.
(Alice) Walsh in Emmetsburg. It seems to have been a case of age and
general debility for she had not been strong for several years. Edward
and Margaret are both buried at St. John's Cemetery in Emmetsburg, Iowa.
They became the parents
of six children, one son William,
and five daughters, Alice, Mary,
Elizabeth, Josephine,
Ellen Eve and Teresa
Agnes (or Margaret).
All were born in Kane Co. Illinois, except Ellen and Teresa Agnes who were
born in Emmetsburg, Iowa (Palo Alto Co.) |
