The Kelly Family

A:  1955 (estimate)  The first Kelly reunion was about 1955.  The reunion started in Walnut Grove, Indiana.  Walnut Grove is southeast of Indianapolis.

Jerry and my brother, J.U. ran around together. They along with my brother Wilburn and about 20 other guys belonged to a Hot Rod Club called Vapor Trailers which Jerry formed.

They had their meetings at our house on Sunday mornings. When I would come home from church, the living room was full of guys from ages 16 to 21. Since my brothers were Vice President and Treasurer, I took the President, Jerry. 

Of course, he had to get my brother, Wilburn's permission before he could date me. (Wilburn was very protective of me) I only went out with him because of his car but ended up falling in love with him. The rest is history. We will be married 49 years on 11/06/08. 

All of the older children had went to Indiana to work. The coal mines gave out and Dad came to Indiana and got a job as a guard at Bryant Heating Manufacturing. He sent for Mom and the rest of us kids. We moved to
Indiana in January of 1952.

Grandma was a great story teller.  She was only about 4'9" tall but she was a feisty gal as my husband says.  My husband's favorite story was when he first met her she told about getting the shotgun and shooting the hawks that were after her chickens.  My husband loved to listen to her tales.  I say tales but they were the stories of her life.  She was very kind and gentle but she was a fighter.  She would always dip snuff (as did my mom and Aunt Nina).  I can see grandma now chewing on a brush (if that is what you would call it, made from a hickory gum tree).  She would swish that brush around and spit out that snuff.  She was part Cherokee Indian.  That is why us Kellys' has such a temper (put that Irish and Indian blood together).  She was a great lady.  I wish my children could have known her.