LEVI WADDELL KELLY

 

 

     Levi Waddell Kelly, b October 5, 1840 in South Carolina, d May 2, 1926 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery, Falls County, Texas - came to Texas in 1866 after the Civil War, and after residing in the vicinity in and around Waco, Texas for about three years, he settled on Blue Ridge, Falls County, Texas.

     On October 24, 1870 in Falls County, Levi was married to Mrs. Sarah (later spelled "Sara" Millerman) Cornelison, b April 2, 1848 in Montgomery County, Texas, d February 1, 1929 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery - a daughter of John Sanford and Mary (Harlan) Millerman. Sara (called "Sallie") had three children by her first marriage to Benjamin Franklin Cornelison, but her daughter died at age, one day, and she and Levi reared the two sons. Levi W. and Sallie Kelly were the parents of twelve children - including a pair of twin sons:

     George E. Kelly, b January 3, 1872, d September 5, 1911 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery - married Annie (maiden name unknown).

     Thomas Saxon Kelly, b August 1, 1873, d October 12,1956 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery - married Ida A. Woodland, b June 9, 1880, d January 18, 1973 - a daughter of Henry and Lucinda (Barclay) Woodland. They moved to the Reagan Community, where Thomas was a successful farmer. They had no children.

     Jesse Pickens Kelly, M.D., b May 1, 1875, d November 23, 1962 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery. He married in Falls County, Texas on December 23, 1894 to Margaret Freeman (called "Maggie"), and moved to Lawton, Oklahoma, where he established his medical practice. No further information.  

     Mary Eliza Kelly, b December 22, 1876, d February 24, 1939 and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin, Texas - married in Falls County (license issued August 9,1902) to John Edward Courville, buried in Calvary Cemetery. Mary Eliza spent all of her life in Falls County, except for about two years after her marriage, when they lived in Arizona. When she died in 1939, she was survived by her husband, and three children: D. B. Courville, of Monahans, Texas; L. E. Courville, of Borger, Texas; and Fay (Courville) Herring, of Marlin.

     Dean Kelly, b March 19, 1879, d February 9,1961 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery – lived throughout his life in the Blue Ridge Community. He and Mrs. Alva (Davis) Turner Brooks had two daughters, Dorothy Jean, who married Wayne Robbins; and Faith, b July 4, 1942, who married a Mr. Rood and resides in Tennessee. Dean left all his estate to his two daughters, and named the eldest, Dorothy Jean Robbins, as his executrix. His Will was dated April 20, 1960.

     Charles Clay Kelly - a twin, b October 12, 1880, d April 10, 1936 and buried in Waite Cemetery at Reagan, Falls County, Texas - married May 20, 1906 to J. Ellen Sprott, b October 22, 1886, d July 20, 1965 and buried in Waite Cemetery - a daughter of Alston and Sarah Elizabeth (May) Sprott. Charles and Ellen lived in the Reagan Community after their marriage.

     Isaiah Claude Kelly - a twin, b October 12, 1880, d 1963 and buried in Waite Cemetery at Reagan- married January 14, 1901 in Falls County, Texas to May Woodland, b 1883, d 1950 and buried in Waite Cemetery - a daughter of Henry and Lucinda (Barclay) Woodland, of Blue Ridge. They were the parents of five children: C. C. Kelly - no information; Essye Eunice Kelly - married November 2,1924 to Charles Lavelle Kinard; Audrene Kelly - married Otto Henry Hartman; Birdie Kelly - married T. Mack Ryan - son of Reverend and Mrs. H. G. Ryan, of Dallas; and Homer Zay Kelly, who died February 14, 1986.

     Oscar Gillespie Kelly, b July 26, 1883, d May 27, 1957 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery - married April 12, 1914 in Falls County to Grace Angela Chamberlain, b December 20, 1884, d August 23, 1976 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery - a daughter of Angelo Ghiberta and Sarah (Harlan) Chamberlain. They had one daughter, Sarah Beatrice Kelly, b October 18, 1914, who married in Falls County on September 5, 1935 to Willard Curry, b November 23,1911 in Wheelock, Robertson County, Texas - son of William Gates and Annette (Dunn) Curry. They had three children: Charles Kelly Curry, b March 4, 1940, who married Joyce Elizabeth Mountjoy; Hal Thomas Curry, b May 18, 1944, who married Frances Maria Sessums; and Nancy Curry, b December 30,1945, who married Carl James Bussell.

     Essye Clyde Kelly, b March 19, 1885 - married C. A. Lehrman, and moved to Galveston, Texas. No further information.

     Roscoe C. Kelly, b June 8,1887, d October 4, 1960 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery - married Ida Stricklin, b January 19, 1889, d September 30, 1973 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery. Roscoe accumulated a large amount of land, and was a very successful farmer and cattleman. He and Ida were always active in the Blue Ridge Baptist Church, where he was a Deacon and Sunday School Superintendent. They had two children: Odessa Kelly - married first to Herschel Criswell and had two daughters, and married second to Melton Guderian, and had a son; and a son, Thomas Kelly, who married, had two children, died and was buried in Marlin, Texas.

     John Sanford Kelly, b July 2,1889 - married Ida Eldora Harlan - daughter of W. A. and Sarah (Vernon) Harlan, of Blue Ridge. They had two sons, Harlan Kelly, and Joe Kelly, who were born in Blue Ridge, Falls County, Texas before moving to Bishop, Texas. A daughter, Mildred Kelly, was born August 25, 1918 in Bishop, who married October 17, 1948 to Harold Ban- non Brown, b October 25, 1918 in Oklahoma, and they had three daughters.

     Mae Kelly, b February 9, 1893 - married November 21, 1911 in Falls County, Texas to Wallace M. Byrne, and moved to Houston, Texas. No further information.

     Levi Waddell Kelly enlisted in the Confederate States Army at Bachelor's Retreat,.South Carolina in June 1861, and served as a Private in Company F, of the Infantry, McGowen's Brigade, A. P. Hill's Division, T. J. Jackson's Corps, A. N. V. - being twice wounded, and losing three fingers once. He and Sallie were very active members of Blue Ridge Baptist Church - rearing their large family in that church. They have many descendants who continue to reside on Blue Ridge, and in Falls County - and among them are those who still are members of the Blue Ridge Baptist Church.

 

 

 

Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing the biographies of these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical Commission, page 265 column 2 and page 266 column 1 and  2.  
Member of Falls County Historical Commission