Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Kelley, Oliver R. 1908
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Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net June 10, 2011, 2:10 pm

Lyons Herald, 31 Dec 1908

Mention was made in our last issue of the death of Oliver R. Kelley, which 
occurred at about the time of going to press, which necessitated only a brief 
review of the facts.

At about noon of Thursday deceased went to the home of Frank E. White with a 
Sunday school paper for his wife.  She asked him to remain, but he declined, 
saying he was going skating.  He returned to his home, secured his skates and 
started for the river.  The day before he had crossed on the ice and thought he 
could this day, although it had thawed some during the forenoon.  It appears 
that his sister urged him not to attempt to cross, and also Oley Barnard, who 
was at the house, added his warning, but Oliver was strong in the belief that 
he could safely cross over the ice and after putting on his skates made the 
attempt.

His home is situate on the south side of the river and the place where he went 
upon the ice is about opposite the gravel pit.  He was warmly dressed, had a 
heavy pair of gloves on and carried a hockey stick in his hands.  He had gone 
but a short distance when he broke through; then began his effort to gain the 
opposite shore, which was some distance away.  He used the hockey stick to 
break the ice and in this way broke a channel of several rods, the ice being to 
thin to allow him to pull himself out.

His cries were first heard by Oley Barnard, who was half a mile away, and he 
ran to the river but was only able to get to the place where Oliver went in on 
account of the thinness of the ice.  Their joint cries were then heard by John 
Henderson and Charlie Johnson, who were at the former’s home on this side of 
the river about a quarter of a mile away.  They ran for the river, picking up a 
plank on the way.  Both were nearly winded when they arrived near where Mr. 
Kelley was struggling in the river.  They spoke encouraging words to him; he 
looked at them but did not speak and just as the plank was about to be placed 
within his reach he sank out of sight, never coming to the surface.

Efforts were at once made to locate the body and after a search of some 30 
minutes it was found by C.L. Aldrich and Charles Munday in about seven feet of 
water, only a few feet from where it went down, in a doubled-up position.  It 
was removed to H.A. Ranger’s home, where every means known to science were 
resorted to to restore life, but without avail.

Deceased was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. L. Kelley and was born in Marion 
county, Kansas, December 25, 1888.  He had been a resident of Lyons and 
vicinity for the past eight years and graduated from the Lyons High School in 
1907.  He taught in the Crane school district last year and in September 
entered Cleary’s Business College at Ypsilanti, being at home on his vacation 
at the time of his death.  He was a member of the Lyons Baptist Church and 
taught a class in its Sunday school; was a member of the Lyons Base Ball Club 
and interested in all manner of manly sport.  His life was an exemplary one and 
all his friends and associates speak in the highest terms of his character.  As 
a testimony of the esteem in which he was held, the Christmas tree exercises 
scheduled for Thursday night were given up.

The funeral was held at the Baptist Church Sunday morning in place of the 
regular preaching, the services at the Methodist Church being given up.  Rev. 
H.W. Powell officiated, assisted by Rev. W.W. Hurd.  The music was furnished by 
Messrs. Strong and Hale and Mesdames Powell and DeVore with Mrs. H.E. Hizer as 
organist.  The floral tributes were many and beautiful.  The following young 
associates of deceased acted as pall bearers: John Shoemaker, John Currigan, 
Harry Searing, Steven Willit, Carl Ranger, and Louis McQuillen.  In addition to 
these a company of young men attended in a body.  Interment in Lyons cemetery.

It seems inexpressibly sad when a young life is thus cut short, and the only 
consolation that can be offered is that somehow, somewhere, sometime the 
opportunity will be afforded to fulfill its mission.


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