John F. Kelly

Duluth News-Tribune, Tuesday, January 2, 1934
John F. Kelly (Father of Frank L. Kelly of Flint, Michigan)

John F. Kelly, 80, 729 West First Street, died at a Duluth hospital. He had been a resident of Duluth about 15 years. The body will be taken to Brainerd, where survivors reside for burial.

Note: John F. Kelly was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Brainerd, Minnesota. He was laid to rest next to his wife Mary Kelly who passed away Monday April 22, 1943 at her home in Brainerd, Minnesota. The Crowing County Review, page 8, printed a obituary for Mary Kelly on Thursday April 29, 1943. This obituary is useful in identifying the children of John and Mary Kelly.

Mrs. Mary Kelly Mrs. Mary Kelly, 77 passed away early Monday morning at home of her daughter, Mrs. Joe Wise, 710 So. Seventh Street,

Funeral services were held at the St. Francis Catholic Church.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Joe Wise of Brainerd and Mrs. C. Carlson of Des Moines, Iowa and three sons, George in the U.S. Air force, Joe of Ontario, California., and Frank of Flint, Michigan.

Additional Comments

This is some vital information on the family of John F. Kelly

The John F. Kelly Family

1. John F. Kelly, Born October 17, 1857, Cincinnati, Ohio. Died December 30, 1933, Duluth, Minnesota. Married Magdalena (Mary) Foltz, 1885, Rush Lake, Minnesota. Buried Evergreen Cemetery, Brainerd, Minnesota. Death certificate says John was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Born October 15, 1869. John was possibly a Civil War orphan according to family lore. No person, including himself, knew the exact date of his birth, place of birth, or parents names. John put Cincinnati Ohio down on many census reports so I used that one. However, his date of birth changed from census to census? For parents names he always put question marks. Question marks appear on death certificate as well. However, he is connected somehow to the Foltz, Doll, and Wise families of Minnesota and Fort Recovery Ohio. John is the family mystery man.
2. Mary (Magdalena) M. Kelly, Born 1866, Fort Recovery, Ohio. Died April 26, 1943, Crow Wing County, Minnesota, (Brainerd) Buried Evergreen Cemetery, Brainerd, Minn.
3. Francis Rose Kelly. Born 1866, Rush Lake, Minnesota. Died August 27, 1953, Crow Wing County, Minnesota, (Brainerd). Married Joseph P. Wise, 1906.
4. Joseph George Kelley, Born March 2, 1890, Rush Lake, Minnesota. Died March 6, 1954, San Bernardino, California. (lived: Ontario California)
Married Orpha Kelly, South Dakota, est. time 1919. California death records shows name as Kelley. Wife Orpha (Alvina) Kelley died on September 5, 1980, San Bernardino, California. Joe Kelley was the only family member to spell his name with the e in Kelley.
5. **Frank Leopold Kelly, Born December 16, 1893, Rush Lake, Minnesota. Died June 3, 1957, Flint, Michigan. Married Stella Louise Thiese (Kelly) August 26, 1915, Yankton, South Dakota.
6. Cecilia Mary Kelly. Born 1896, Rush Lake , Minnesota. Died 1979. Des Moines, Iowa. Married George Carlson.
7. George James Kelly. Born 1908, Aitkin, Minnesota. Died? Perhaps Florida. Wife Dorothy from Aitkin, Minnesota.


**Frank Leopold Kelly is my grandfather. My mother Ruth Elaine Kelly was Franks youngest daughter.

The Frank Leopold Kelly Family

1. Frank Leopold Kelly, Born December 16, 1893, Rush Lake, Minnesota. Died June 3, 1957, Flint, Michigan. Married Stella Louise Thiese (Kelly) August 26, 1915, Yankton, South Dakota.
2. Stella Louise (Thiese) Kelly. Born August 22, 1891, Postville, Iowa. Died May 19, 1958, Flint, Michigan.
3. James Lewis Kelly, Born April 3, 1918, Flint, Michigan. Died July 22, 1951, Flint, Michigan. Married Sue Pennington/California.
4. Dorothy Magdalena Kelly. Born December 4, 1919, Flint, Michigan. As of 2012 92 years old. Living at the Elizabeth House in Clio, Michigan.
5. Earl Francis Kelly, Born March 26, 1921, Flint, Michigan. Died September 5, 1996, Dayton, Ohio. (Kettering) Married Esther Evans (Kelly) in 1943 (Ohio). Esther Kelly died on February 19, 2012 near Kettering Ohio.
6. Marguerite Kelly. Born September 30, 1922, Flint, Michigan. Died….Flint, Michigan. Married Daryl DeRyk, Tarzana, California. Died October 6, 2003, Burton, Michigan. (near Flint, Mi)
7. Frank Robert Kelly (Bob). Born November 22, 1923, Flint, Michigan. Married Edith?
8. Ruth Elaine Kelly (Wernette). Born December 31, 1925, flint, Michigan. Died December 21, 2008, Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Married George Wernette August 16, 1949, Flint, Michigan. Previous marriage; James Oliver Diamond; married October 2, 1946 in Lucas County, Ohio. Justice of the Peace#161281; Divorced James Oliver Diamond on September 30, 1947. One child; Kelly Diamond Wernette; born 08/23/1947.
9. Donald Eugene Kelly. Born August 31, 1927, Flint, Michigan. Died October 25, 1991, Waterford, Michigan. Married Betty Failing on June 12, 1948, Flint, Michigan. Betty (Failing) Kelly died October 29, 2004, Waterford, Michigan. Don and Betty Kelly adopted 6 Children.

Submitted by: Kelly Wernette, March 2012