Janice and Dave, That was interesting ------that the post office was in the home of Zar Kelley. I have the following quote mentioning the given name of "Zar". Many of us have wondered about the origins of the name Zar. Someday we will find it =;o). src: Oren Morton's bk. History of Preston Co., WV "Jefferson Jackson Kelley The proprietor of the Meadow Brook Farm has been a farmer and man of public affairs all his life. His father, Zar Hagans Kelley, born June 19, 1819, was a farmer also, who achieved some considerable degree of success as an agriculturalist, and a reputation besides as a Justice of the Peace. He died in 1889. Mr. Jefferson Jackson Kelley was born June 9, 1863. He was reared on the farm, and still follows farming, having a liking for pursuits in rural life, notwithstanding, his attainments are such he could have succeeded in the professions, especially that of an instructor in the higher branches of learning. He was educated in the common schools, and then completed a Commercial Course at Lexington, Kentucky, graduating from that college on June 5, 1885. Following natural inclinations, Mr. Kelley began teaching school when seventeen years old, and has taught in all twenty-one years. He was a merchant at Zar, this county, six years, and was field agent for the North Preston Coal Company three years. In the meantime, he was a member of the School Book Board twelve years, and has been a Notary Public since 1889, an office which he has held acceptably to the general public for twenty-four years. Fraternally, Mr. Kelley is a member of the Odd Fellows; Encampment of same; and is a Knight of the Golden Eagles. He is a Democrat. Zar Hagans Kelley, father of J.J. Kelley, married Sarah Anne Herring; born November 26, 1820. Their children were: Joseph Newton, born 1849; George Allen, 1851; William Brandon, 1852; John Quitman, 1854; Mary Jane, 1856; Samuel Franklin, 1865. The mother is still living. On December 9, 1902, Mr. Kelley was united in marriage to Mary Ellen Smith at her home. She was born March 11, 1877. Her father, William Henry Smith, born 1843, was a soldier in the War of the Rebellion. His wife was Susan Rebecca Freeland, born in 1840. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Kelley are as follows: Rebecca Mae, born in 1903; Zar William, 1904; Sarah Hazel, 1906; Lucie Eleanor, 1909; Ivie Jane, 1911." ========= from my notes: 1) John Kelley, 1755-1853, was a soldier of the Rev.--ref. Morton-Hist. of Preston Co., WVA. 2) Came from Loudoun (Co. Va.?) (Loudon County was formed from Fairfax in 1750.) in 1783 and located on the Alfred Kelley Place near Zar. Morton's bk. "Hist. of Preston Co." (WVA.) states: "John Kelly came from Loudoun in 1783------. He was a soldier of the Revolution." 3) He relocated in 1811 to Ohio with four of his children. (William stayed in Preston Co.) 4) Said to have attained the age of 103 yrs. 5). From History of Preston Co., WVa. pub. 1979 by Pres.Co.Hist.Soc.: " Five Kelly brothers, of Irish descent, served in the Revolutionary War and one of them was great-great grandfather, John, of Robert Ray (Wray?--cs) Kelly, John settled in Preston Co." 6) John Kelley enlisted Feb. 22, 1777, as a private in Captain Charles Porterfield's Co., Col. Febiger's 11th Va. Regiment, Commanded by Col. Danel Morgan. On the 11th of Sept. he was in the battle of the Brandywine in which he was dangerously wounded, a spent ball hit him on the forehad and went around his skull and lodged under the skin on the back of his neck. He would never have the bullet removed and carrried it to his grave. Payroll records show that he was absent sick until Feb. 1778 when he was back on duty at Valley Forge. From June-Aug. 1778 he is listed at amp White Plains, Sept-Nov., Pompton; Jan.-May, 1779 Camp Middlebrook; May-July, Smith's Clove. On the 15th of July he was with Gen. Wayne at the storming of Stony Point and the records show him at Camp Rainepough, Clovein October. From Oct.--Nov. he was at Camp Haverstraw and from Nov-Feb. 1780 he was at a Camp near Morristown. He was discharged Feb. 25, 1780. After the War he was engaged in the exploration and surveying of Kentucky and then went to Loudoun Co., Va. AND IN 1783 CAME TO PRESTON CO., WVA. 7) ref. Zar Wm. Kelley, Cleveland, Ohio.--"The spelling of the name Kelley or Kelly as it is used by the various members of the family is an interesting problem, John Kelley used the ey ending until he moved to Ohio and after that all of the records show the Kelly spelling except on his original application for pension he signed his name John Kelley. The descendents of William Kelley who lived near Ric(Ks??-- unreadable) Landing, Penn., all use the Kelley spelling but James Kelly , Sr., who settled at Mt. Gilead, Ohio and all his descendents used the Kelly spelling." "Of the other Kelley or Kelly families in Preston I am almost certain they are descendents of one of the original five Kelley brothers and hope sometime to connect the relationship." ----ref. Zar Kelley 8) Zar Hagans Kelley b. June 19, 1819, was a son of William Kelley, abt. 1784-1856 (of John Kelley & Elizabeth Askins), and Hannah Brandon b. 1787 (of Alexander Brandon and Elizabeth Robinette). Zar married Sarah Ann Herring. Their son was Jefferson Jackson Kelley (see his bio above). William Kelley & Hannah Brandon had the following children: Emma Jane (m. Wm. DeBerry, my line-cs), Alfred Joseph, Ethelinda, Clemena, Elizabeth, Alexander Madison, Zar Hagans, & Jonathan. ======= If anyone can add to my gathered information, I would appreciate it. =;o) Carolyn