Tombstone Tuesday - Mary Casey Kelly

Mary Casey Kelly was my great great grandmother. She was born in Ireland and married William D Kelly shortly after both arrived in the United States. The marriage probably took place in either New York or New Jersey. They then moved west to Elgin, Illinois, where their two oldest children were born. From there, they went to St. Paul in Ramsey county, Minnesota. In 1864, they were on the western expedition led by Captain James Fisk. After an altercation with native Indians in the Dakotas, the train came east again. William did not want to return to St. Paul, so the family settled in Omaha, Nebraska; later to Council Bluffs, Iowa and eventually to Greenwood, Nebraska in Cass county and the adjoining Mill Precinct in Lancaster county, Nebraska.

Kelly tombstone, Calvary Cemetery, Lincoln, Nebraska

Finding Mary and William's tombstones was a turning point in my genealogical research. I discovered Mary's birth and death dates, her maiden name and confirmation that she was the wife of William.

Sadly, William does not have an inscription on the marker, however, his grave is marked by a stone reading "Papa" next to Mary's that reads "Mamma".

John and Eunice Kelly of North Lathram, Caddo, Oklahoma

I've hit another roadblock looking for this line of the Kelly family. John Kelly was a brother of my great grandfather, Daniel Kelly, and a son of William D. Kelly and Mary Casey, both of whom were born in Ireland.

John was born in Nebraska, probably in Omaha, about 1865. He married Eunice Derieg at St. Theresa's procathedral in Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska on November 19, 1900. Eunice was born in New Brunswick, Canada. Many of her Derieg siblings remained in Lancaster county, Nebraska.

Census records indicate that John and Eunice had a son named John who was born in Nebraska about 1902. Another son named Kiron/Keiran/Kieran (many variations in spelling) was born in Nebraska about 1904. The 1910 census shows the couple with a daughter, Mary, also born about 1902. This census shows Eunice had given birth to eight children, only three of whom were living.

It appears the family moved from Nebraska to Oklahoma sometime between 1904 and 1910. A biography of John's father, William D Kelly, which was published in 1905, states that John was a farmer in Carney, Oklahoma.

The 1910 Census shows the family living in Lathram, Caddo, Oklahoma, with the three children.

We next find the family in 1920 census, living in Moffat, Morapos, Colorado, with the two sons. Mary is not listed with the family. At this time, Mary has either moved out of the family home, perhaps married or has died. The elder John is still farming at this time. The two sons, now ages 18 and 16, are listed as laborers/homestead farmers.

John died sometime between 1920 and 1930. The 1930 census shows that Eunice is now widowed and sons John and Kiron/Keiran/Kieran are living with her and farming.

The 1930 census is as far as I have been able to trace this family. As always, I am in search of death notices or obituaries for both John and Eunice. I would also like to locate information on the three children and any of their descendants.