PATRICK J. KELLEY was born in Mt. Laffety, Pa. His parent's names were John Kelley and Ellen Nolen Kelley who are said to have been born in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland and Tipperary, Ireland. Patrick's parents immigrated either on ship called Barbara on May 11, 1848 or ship called Rip Van Winkle April 4, 1852. They met aboard ship and married in America? Both ship passenger lists have a John Kelly and Ellen Nolan that are about the right ages. They settled in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania.
Patrick was the second youngest of 9 children. He was only eight years of age when employed as a breaker boy at the coal mines in Pottsville. He also picked out the slate. Patrick told his mother, at an early age when he was picking slate, " Mother, if I don't find another job, I'll be doing this for the rest of my life". When asked what he wanted to do, he said he wanted to go to Philadelphia and was granted permission to go there.
Patrick got his first job in a hotel working as a bell hop. One day his barber offered to hire him to clean up the barber shop. The barber was impressed by his work and told him that if he took care of putting coal in the furnace that he could live upstairs of the shop and that also could get training in cutting hair. At the age of eleven he began an apprenticeship at the barbers' trade, but four years later took up tailoring. In the meantime he attended school when time and other duties permitted. Patrick J. Kelley, was a very prominent citizen of early Bluefield history. At about age 25 in 1890, he arrived in Bluefield, WV and took up tailoring. At that time, Bluefield was a small, muddy village. He set up a tailoring shop on Raleigh Street.
Somehow, maybe during early childhood, Patrick got to know some brothers by the last name of Tierney whose family made big money in the coal business in Pennsylvania. They encouraged him that there were big opportunities in coal down in Bluefield West Virginia. Patrick is said to have had doubts about the viability of getting the coal out of the ground and decided to build a 4 story building in downtown Bluefield with a business partner. There was a Kelley's billiard and saloon on the first floor. Apparently he was one of the organizers of the Bluefield Brewing Co., and served as its Vice President and general manager around 1907. When the brewery was converted into a creamery, he became president of the business. The National Armature Co., of which he was president, was an industry occupying part of the brewery plant. He was also a director of the Flat Top National Bank. He was treasurer of the Elks Lodge in 1899, was president of the Bluefield Country Club in 1920 and for several years was a member of the Bluefield City Council. He was affiliated with the Knights of Columbus and he and his family were members of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Obituary:
Patrick J. Kelley Rites Tomorrow
------------------
Funeral services will be held tomorrow for Patrick John Kelley, 79, one of Bluefield's pioneer residents, who died at the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. C. G. Duy, Virginia Court, Tuesday evening, after suffering a heart attack Tuesday afternoon.
The funeral services will be conducted at the Sacred Heart Catholic church with the Rev. George Burke in charge. Interment will follow in Maple Park cemetery, this city.
Rosary services will be held this evening at the home of C. L. Stacy, 112 Virginia Court at 8 o'clock.
Pallbearers are: Charlie and George Cruise, J. W. Overstreet, Spencer Armistead, Evans Omar and L. C. Fowlkes. Honorary pallbearers will be friends and associates of Mr. Kelley.
Mr. Kelley was a pioneer resident of the city coming here in 1891 from Pennsylvania, and entering the tailoring business.
He later entered into business with J. H. (Jim) Moyer and operating as Kelley and Moyer, they erected the building now known as the Coal and Coke building, occupied by Kresge's store.
Mr. Kelley was a member of the B. P. O. E. No. 269 and was the only member of the local Elks lodge to ever be named exalted ruler three times.
Prominent in all civic activities in the city, Mr. Kelley served two terms as city councilman and inaugurated many of the movements which led to improvements in the city.
He was a member of the Sacred Heart church and of the Bluefield Country Club, the formation of which he was very much interested.
Patrick was the second youngest of 9 children. He was only eight years of age when employed as a breaker boy at the coal mines in Pottsville. He also picked out the slate. Patrick told his mother, at an early age when he was picking slate, " Mother, if I don't find another job, I'll be doing this for the rest of my life". When asked what he wanted to do, he said he wanted to go to Philadelphia and was granted permission to go there.
Patrick got his first job in a hotel working as a bell hop. One day his barber offered to hire him to clean up the barber shop. The barber was impressed by his work and told him that if he took care of putting coal in the furnace that he could live upstairs of the shop and that also could get training in cutting hair. At the age of eleven he began an apprenticeship at the barbers' trade, but four years later took up tailoring. In the meantime he attended school when time and other duties permitted. Patrick J. Kelley, was a very prominent citizen of early Bluefield history. At about age 25 in 1890, he arrived in Bluefield, WV and took up tailoring. At that time, Bluefield was a small, muddy village. He set up a tailoring shop on Raleigh Street.
Somehow, maybe during early childhood, Patrick got to know some brothers by the last name of Tierney whose family made big money in the coal business in Pennsylvania. They encouraged him that there were big opportunities in coal down in Bluefield West Virginia. Patrick is said to have had doubts about the viability of getting the coal out of the ground and decided to build a 4 story building in downtown Bluefield with a business partner. There was a Kelley's billiard and saloon on the first floor. Apparently he was one of the organizers of the Bluefield Brewing Co., and served as its Vice President and general manager around 1907. When the brewery was converted into a creamery, he became president of the business. The National Armature Co., of which he was president, was an industry occupying part of the brewery plant. He was also a director of the Flat Top National Bank. He was treasurer of the Elks Lodge in 1899, was president of the Bluefield Country Club in 1920 and for several years was a member of the Bluefield City Council. He was affiliated with the Knights of Columbus and he and his family were members of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Obituary:
Patrick J. Kelley Rites Tomorrow
------------------
Funeral services will be held tomorrow for Patrick John Kelley, 79, one of Bluefield's pioneer residents, who died at the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. C. G. Duy, Virginia Court, Tuesday evening, after suffering a heart attack Tuesday afternoon.
The funeral services will be conducted at the Sacred Heart Catholic church with the Rev. George Burke in charge. Interment will follow in Maple Park cemetery, this city.
Rosary services will be held this evening at the home of C. L. Stacy, 112 Virginia Court at 8 o'clock.
Pallbearers are: Charlie and George Cruise, J. W. Overstreet, Spencer Armistead, Evans Omar and L. C. Fowlkes. Honorary pallbearers will be friends and associates of Mr. Kelley.
Mr. Kelley was a pioneer resident of the city coming here in 1891 from Pennsylvania, and entering the tailoring business.
He later entered into business with J. H. (Jim) Moyer and operating as Kelley and Moyer, they erected the building now known as the Coal and Coke building, occupied by Kresge's store.
Mr. Kelley was a member of the B. P. O. E. No. 269 and was the only member of the local Elks lodge to ever be named exalted ruler three times.
Prominent in all civic activities in the city, Mr. Kelley served two terms as city councilman and inaugurated many of the movements which led to improvements in the city.
He was a member of the Sacred Heart church and of the Bluefield Country Club, the formation of which he was very much interested.
PATRICK J. KELLEY was born in Mt. Laffety, Pa. His parent's names were John Kelley and Ellen Nolen Kelley who are said to have been born in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland and Tipperary, Ireland. Patrick's parents immigrated either on ship called Barbara on May 11, 1848 or ship called Rip Van Winkle April 4, 1852. They met aboard ship and married in America? Both ship passenger lists have a John Kelly and Ellen Nolan that are about the right ages. They settled in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania.
Patrick was the second youngest of 9 children. He was only eight years of age when employed as a breaker boy at the coal mines in Pottsville. He also picked out the slate. Patrick told his mother, at an early age when he was picking slate, " Mother, if I don't find another job, I'll be doing this for the rest of my life". When asked what he wanted to do, he said he wanted to go to Philadelphia and was granted permission to go there.
Patrick got his first job in a hotel working as a bell hop. One day his barber offered to hire him to clean up the barber shop. The barber was impressed by his work and told him that if he took care of putting coal in the furnace that he could live upstairs of the shop and that also could get training in cutting hair. At the age of eleven he began an apprenticeship at the barbers' trade, but four years later took up tailoring. In the meantime he attended school when time and other duties permitted. Patrick J. Kelley, was a very prominent citizen of early Bluefield history. At about age 25 in 1890, he arrived in Bluefield, WV and took up tailoring. At that time, Bluefield was a small, muddy village. He set up a tailoring shop on Raleigh Street.
Somehow, maybe during early childhood, Patrick got to know some brothers by the last name of Tierney whose family made big money in the coal business in Pennsylvania. They encouraged him that there were big opportunities in coal down in Bluefield West Virginia. Patrick is said to have had doubts about the viability of getting the coal out of the ground and decided to build a 4 story building in downtown Bluefield with a business partner. There was a Kelley's billiard and saloon on the first floor. Apparently he was one of the organizers of the Bluefield Brewing Co., and served as its Vice President and general manager around 1907. When the brewery was converted into a creamery, he became president of the business. The National Armature Co., of which he was president, was an industry occupying part of the brewery plant. He was also a director of the Flat Top National Bank. He was treasurer of the Elks Lodge in 1899, was president of the Bluefield Country Club in 1920 and for several years was a member of the Bluefield City Council. He was affiliated with the Knights of Columbus and he and his family were members of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Obituary:
Patrick J. Kelley Rites Tomorrow
------------------
Funeral services will be held tomorrow for Patrick John Kelley, 79, one of Bluefield's pioneer residents, who died at the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. C. G. Duy, Virginia Court, Tuesday evening, after suffering a heart attack Tuesday afternoon.
The funeral services will be conducted at the Sacred Heart Catholic church with the Rev. George Burke in charge. Interment will follow in Maple Park cemetery, this city.
Rosary services will be held this evening at the home of C. L. Stacy, 112 Virginia Court at 8 o'clock.
Pallbearers are: Charlie and George Cruise, J. W. Overstreet, Spencer Armistead, Evans Omar and L. C. Fowlkes. Honorary pallbearers will be friends and associates of Mr. Kelley.
Mr. Kelley was a pioneer resident of the city coming here in 1891 from Pennsylvania, and entering the tailoring business.
He later entered into business with J. H. (Jim) Moyer and operating as Kelley and Moyer, they erected the building now known as the Coal and Coke building, occupied by Kresge's store.
Mr. Kelley was a member of the B. P. O. E. No. 269 and was the only member of the local Elks lodge to ever be named exalted ruler three times.
Prominent in all civic activities in the city, Mr. Kelley served two terms as city councilman and inaugurated many of the movements which led to improvements in the city.
He was a member of the Sacred Heart church and of the Bluefield Country Club, the formation of which he was very much interested.
Patrick was the second youngest of 9 children. He was only eight years of age when employed as a breaker boy at the coal mines in Pottsville. He also picked out the slate. Patrick told his mother, at an early age when he was picking slate, " Mother, if I don't find another job, I'll be doing this for the rest of my life". When asked what he wanted to do, he said he wanted to go to Philadelphia and was granted permission to go there.
Patrick got his first job in a hotel working as a bell hop. One day his barber offered to hire him to clean up the barber shop. The barber was impressed by his work and told him that if he took care of putting coal in the furnace that he could live upstairs of the shop and that also could get training in cutting hair. At the age of eleven he began an apprenticeship at the barbers' trade, but four years later took up tailoring. In the meantime he attended school when time and other duties permitted. Patrick J. Kelley, was a very prominent citizen of early Bluefield history. At about age 25 in 1890, he arrived in Bluefield, WV and took up tailoring. At that time, Bluefield was a small, muddy village. He set up a tailoring shop on Raleigh Street.
Somehow, maybe during early childhood, Patrick got to know some brothers by the last name of Tierney whose family made big money in the coal business in Pennsylvania. They encouraged him that there were big opportunities in coal down in Bluefield West Virginia. Patrick is said to have had doubts about the viability of getting the coal out of the ground and decided to build a 4 story building in downtown Bluefield with a business partner. There was a Kelley's billiard and saloon on the first floor. Apparently he was one of the organizers of the Bluefield Brewing Co., and served as its Vice President and general manager around 1907. When the brewery was converted into a creamery, he became president of the business. The National Armature Co., of which he was president, was an industry occupying part of the brewery plant. He was also a director of the Flat Top National Bank. He was treasurer of the Elks Lodge in 1899, was president of the Bluefield Country Club in 1920 and for several years was a member of the Bluefield City Council. He was affiliated with the Knights of Columbus and he and his family were members of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Obituary:
Patrick J. Kelley Rites Tomorrow
------------------
Funeral services will be held tomorrow for Patrick John Kelley, 79, one of Bluefield's pioneer residents, who died at the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. C. G. Duy, Virginia Court, Tuesday evening, after suffering a heart attack Tuesday afternoon.
The funeral services will be conducted at the Sacred Heart Catholic church with the Rev. George Burke in charge. Interment will follow in Maple Park cemetery, this city.
Rosary services will be held this evening at the home of C. L. Stacy, 112 Virginia Court at 8 o'clock.
Pallbearers are: Charlie and George Cruise, J. W. Overstreet, Spencer Armistead, Evans Omar and L. C. Fowlkes. Honorary pallbearers will be friends and associates of Mr. Kelley.
Mr. Kelley was a pioneer resident of the city coming here in 1891 from Pennsylvania, and entering the tailoring business.
He later entered into business with J. H. (Jim) Moyer and operating as Kelley and Moyer, they erected the building now known as the Coal and Coke building, occupied by Kresge's store.
Mr. Kelley was a member of the B. P. O. E. No. 269 and was the only member of the local Elks lodge to ever be named exalted ruler three times.
Prominent in all civic activities in the city, Mr. Kelley served two terms as city councilman and inaugurated many of the movements which led to improvements in the city.
He was a member of the Sacred Heart church and of the Bluefield Country Club, the formation of which he was very much interested.
Inscription
Patrick J. Kelley
March 12, 1865
June 13, 1944
Family Members
Parents
