Posted on: Stanislaus County Obituaries Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ca/StanislausObits/10923 Surname: KELLY, BAILEY, PHELAN, RIFFE, COLE, WITT ------------------------- EDWARD KELLY Obituary 1917 Posted by Charles E. Hawkins chawkins@wvi.comon Thu, 15 Mar 2001 Surnames: KELLY, BAILEY, PHELAN, RIFFE, COLE, WITT Obituary from “The Modesto Morning Herald”, Saturday, January 13, 1917 (apparently extracted from Oakdale Leader) EDWARD KELLY Oakdale’s Oldest Resident is Dead. Edward Kelly Passes at Age of Ninety-Five Years – Settled at Knights Ferry in the Fifties. Edward Kelly, probably the oldest man in the Oakdale section, if not in Stanislaus County, died Friday afternoon at the home of his son, just east of town, says the Oakdale Leader. The deceased was ninety-five years of age. Mr. Kelly has been in good health until within a week of his death. In spite of his years, he continued active until within a short time of his demise and was out of doors most of his time. Mr. Kelly was on of the pioneers of Knights Ferry and played a prominent part in early day affairs. He was born in Ireland in December, 1821 and migrated to America at the age of twenty. It was not until ten years later, in 1852, that the deceased came to California, taking the route over the Isthmus. He settled in Trinity County, and engaged in mining there for several years before coming to Stanislaus County, and locating at Knights Ferry. Here, also, Mr. Kelly started mining, and continued in that occupation until the year 1871, when the big flood washed out his mine on the Stanislaus. The deceased then moved to Adamsville, which was a small town, just the other side of what is now Modesto. Mr. Kelly remained there but a few years before he moved to Hanford and there engaged in farming and stock raising on an extensive scale. He made a fortune here, but later lost it in speculation. Mr. Kelly returned to Knights Ferry fourteen years ago and continued to make his home there until a few months ago when he came to Oakdale to live with his two sons. Mr. Kelly was married in 1850 to Miss N. Phelan on Lake Michigan. He eloped with his sweetheart and they were married on one of the lake boats. Mrs. Kelly died quite a number of years ago, but he is survived by eight children; four sons and four daughters. They are M. J. Kelly of Oakdale, Frank Kelly of Modesto, Edward Kelly of this city (Oakdale), and Jack Kelly of Modesto; Mrs. A. Riffe of this city, Mrs. M. G. Bailey of Modesto, Mrs. Ezra Cole of La Grange and Mrs. C. A. Witt of Porterville. Mr. Kelly was a man of quiet, retiring disposition but he had numerous friends who admired him for his honesty and manliness. The funeral services were held Monday, Father Looney preaching the sermon. Interment was in Citizen’s Cemetery. There was a large attendance of Knights Ferry people at the funeral, among them Lewis Voyle, a friend of the pioneer days and himself eighty-five yeas of age. (Transcribed by Charles E. Hawkins)