Forgotten Memorial

Recently we have read about the improvements that will be made at Market Square-Patten Parkway since we weren't sure where this was we did a Google search. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Hamilton County on May 1, 1980. After seeing the images I knew we have driven by many,many times but didn't know anything about the area. I always thought it looked like a quaint small town street in the middle of downtown. I took my camera and stopped in one morning to get a few pictures.

There is a Memorial in the middle of the Parkway for the men who died from Hamilton County during World War II.  When I saw this I remembered my aunt telling me about my uncle's name being on a Memorial in downtown Chattanooga. I don't think she told me where it was. Looking down the names I saw my uncle Eugene D. Kelly

I'm so happy that I now know where the memorial is located and can pass this information on to my children.

Great Grandmother in the 1930 Census

Nancy Kelley was my great grandmother.

1930 Census

Fay Kelley with her 6 children and her father, David Newby at the time of the 1930 Census.

Looking forward to finding them in the 1940 Census.

Fay Newby Kelley August 10,1892- July 4,1984

Chickens!! Help!

I think this is one of my first memories. I remember being afraid of the chickens my grandparents had and I would run from them.

Granny to the rescue!

Wordless Wednesday - Brothers

Eugene Douglas Kelly and Tom Franklin Kelley

Kelley Family Reunion

Kelley Family Reunion

December 1983

Dad, Mom, me, sister-in-law, and brother

I am so happy to get this picture. I had not seen it until just recently.

Easter 1960

Easter 1960! I don't remember 1960, I'm the little one here! Easter was always lots of fun. We went to my grandmother (Mama Kelley) house. We had a big family dinner. Then the little kids had to stay inside while the older cousins would hide the Easter eggs for us to hunt. We would hunt them over and over I guess til the older kids got tired (bored).

Kelley Family Reunion December 1984

Getting back to some genealogy! In December 1984 the Kelley family had a reunion at the Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church. I'm sure the reunion was inspired by the Joel Kelley book which was published in September of that year. There was  a crowd of Kelley cousins. Everywhere we looked Dad was introducing us to a cousin. He was so happy to see all of his cousins, many he had not seen in years. We all felt that there would be many reunions to come, however, sadly that was the one and only reunion.

Dad and my Aunts talked about going to the Kelley family reunion in Bradley County, Tn when they were kids. I'm not sure if they still have a reunion there now.

Somehow the day of the Chattanooga Valley Kelley reunion our family forgot to take cameras. I remember one of the cousins took pictures of each family group. I remember Dad called the cousin several times and offered to send money to have an extra set of pictures developed for him. He always wanted copies of those pictures, but never got them.  I would love to have copies of those pictures. Maybe someday a Kelley cousin who was at the December 1984 Kelley Family Reunion at the Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church will find this blog and contact me and e-mail pictures. What a great day that would be!

Kelley's 1963

My brother and I with Mom, back in 1963. Another of the photos given to me by my Aunt.

The Kelley Family - April 1966

My Dad's sister gave me this photo several years ago, I'm so proud to have it. We did not have a copy of this photo. Mom and Dad didn't always have the extra money to have pictures made but my Aunt made lots of pictures, I can remember she and my uncle making pictures at all the family get togethers.
Betsy reminded me that I didn't tell you who this was. Left is Me, my Dad, my Mom, and my brother. There aren't a lot of pictures of the four of us so I am proud to have this one.

Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church Cemetery

This is a brief history of

the Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church Cemetery. This is from a book listing all those buried at the cemetery, my Aunt was so kind to let me borrow the book and make copies. Many of my Kelley ancestors are buried there. In fact for many years my dad said that this is where he wanted to be buried, next to his mother and dad. At some point he changed his mind and is buried in Chattanooga.
The Long family mentioned are also related, my Great grandmother Newby (Olivia Jane Jennie) was a Long.

If I Had a Genealogy Time Machine, Thanks Lorine

Thank you Lorine over at Olive Tree Genealogy Blog for your post If I Had a Genealogy Time Machine....



This sounded like such a fun game, it may become a regular post here at Genealogy Fun, hope you don't mind. The following was copied from Olive Tree Genealogy Blog
 We call it "If I had a Time Machine..." and it requires you to say what you would do (genealogy-wise only) if you could travel back in time.
The rules are that you can't save a life, and you can't ask questions of your ancestors. In other words, no interaction with the people in the past. You also cannot bring a camera or scanner with you!

But you *can* rescue objects (a family bible, church records, trunk full of family documents....) and you *can* bring one item back with you to study in the present. http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/10/if-i-had-genealogy-time-machine.html
The first thing that came to my mind was a scrapbook my Aunt showed me about a year before she died. I'm not sure if she or my Grandmother put the book together. I'm not sure how much genealogy information could be gained from the scrapbook. I thought of this book because it was such a special scrapbook of pictures of my Uncle Eugene who died in World War II. There was a newspaper clipping saying that Eugene had been killed and a church program from the Memorial service which they had for all the young men who died during the War.
To follow the rules of the game, I can't ask questions, so I can't go back and ask my Aunt for the scrapbook. I can't take a camera or scanner to copy the book. I can rescue objects (scrapbook) and bring it back to the present. Here's my problem, I wouldn't want to go back to the day my Aunt showed it to me and just take it.
Wow! So maybe go back to the day the scrapbook was completed and "rescue" it, bring it to the present.

To be honest I would be happy with copies of the things in the scrapbook, but no one knows anything about the book. It would be a genealogy treasure to have this book or the information in it as a tribute to Uncle Eugene to pass down to future generations. I just hope that where ever the book is now it is seen as a treasure.

Hiram and Nancy Kelley with Children

My Dad got copies of several family pictures from one of his cousins, I think this is one of those copies. There were no names on the back, just Kelley family. This is Hiram and Nancy with their children but don't know the names of the children. I'll have to look around maybe there is another copy with the names on the back.

Elijah Kelley

As far as I know there is no picture of my Great Great Grandfather, Elijah Kelley. The following information is from the Joel Kelley book. During the Trail of Tears, Elijah had an Indian friend who did not want to go to Oklahoma. Elijah with the help of his parents hid the Indian on thieir farm. The name of the Indian was long ago forgotten but he remained with the Kelley fammily and worked for them. He is buried in the Kelley family cemetery. His grave is marked only by a tall rock.
Elijah operated a lumber business and farmed. He strained himself while lifting logs and died soon thereafter. He died Dec. 23, 1875.
At the time of the Battle of Chickamauga, Elijah Kelley owned property where part of the battle took place.
Elijah did not live on the land his brother Elisha Kelley, cleared, fenced, and farmed the land. Elisha and his family were living on the land during the battle in 1863. In Oct. 1891 Joseph Kelley (son of Elijah Kelley) deeded the land to the United States Government. The land now is part of the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park, Chickamauga, Ga.  At Footnote.com I found a map of the Battle-field of Chickamauga which shows the Kelley property.
I really need to go out to the Park and get some pictures and go to the Visitor Center another thing to put on my list of places I need to do research.

Julia Jane McSpadden Kelley

Stewart Russell Kelley was the second child of Elijah and Julia Jane McSpadden Kelley, he was born May 23, 1848 and died Nov. 10, 1924. He is buried in the Kelley Family Cemetery in Bradley County, Tenn.
Stewart married Charraletha "Charlie" Woods May 2, 1884.

Above is a photo of Stewart and "Charlie" with their children and Julia Jane McSpadden Kelley.

Lizzie Kelley

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Kelley Whitten was the only surviving daughter of Elijah and Julia Jane McSpadden Kelley.

She married James Paschel Whitten in 1868 in Bradley County, Tennessee. Lizzie died Aug. 12, 1909 and is buried in the Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery, Cohutta, Ga.

The Kelley Brothers

from the Joel Kelley book

Elijah and Julia Jane McSpadden Kelley had 10 children, three daughters and seven sons. Two daughters Polly and Nettie died young and the other Lizzie died in 1909. I'm so thankful to have the Joel Kelley book, it has many photos which I would not otherwise have. Above is a photo that was published in the Cleveland Daily Banner, Cleveland, Tenn. on Thursday, June 28, 1966.  This photo was taken in 1916 and has all seven of Elijah and Julia Jane McSpadden Kelley's sons.
It's so exciting to see a photo of my Great Grandfather and all of his brothers.

Hiram and Nancy Kelley

                        Another photo of Hiram and Nancy Kelley,
                             my Great Grandparents.

Historic Homes

The above picture is from the Saturday, June 7, 2003, Lifestyle section of the Chattanooga Times Free Press
My great grandfather Hiram Kelley was a carpenter and helped to build these homes. They were built from 1902 to 1904.