Edgar Kelley Biography


	This biography appears on pages 245-246 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				HON. EDGAR KELLEY. 

	Hon. Edgar Kelley, who since 1905 has lived retired in Milbank, 
South Dakota, is one of the large landowners of Grant county, where he 
has a section of land. He was born in Walworth county, Wisconsin, 
November 23, 1851, a son of Stephen and Mary A. (Liddell) Kelley. The 
father was born and reared in Herkimer county, New York, and comes of 
Scotch-Irish descent, the family having been established in America in 
early colonial days, at which time they took up their abode in New 
England. The mother who was born in Burlington, Vermont, was of English 
lineage. The father, upon leaving his native state, came to the middle 
west, settling in Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming until 1866. He 
then removed to Freeborn county, Minnesota, where he continued farming. 
While still a resident of Wisconsin, however, he became a member of 
Company I, Forty-sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and did valiant 
duty at the front. His death occurred in 1898 and the death of his wife 
occurred in 1895, when she was seventy one years of age. In their 
family were three sons and three daughters, all of whom survive with 
the exception of Benjamin and William. 

	Edgar Kelley accompanied his parents on their various removals 
and acquired his education in the schools of Wisconsin, Minnesota and 
Iowa, having removed to the latter state when he was twenty years of 
age. After completing his studies he engaged in farming for three years 
in Franklin county, that state, when he returned to the home farm in 
Minnesota and assumed charge of the homestead for his father. In 1879 
he went to Grant county, South Dakota, and entered a homestead claim in 
Melrose township, which constitutes a portion of his present holdings. 
He at once undertook the development and improvement of his place and 
it is today one of the model forms of that section of Grant county. 
There are found modern and substantial buildings and good fences, while 
the soil has been brought to that point where it is adapted to raising 
the various cereals produced in this state. He also gave much attention 
to the raising of live stock and had a dairy in connection with his 
farm. Despite the fact that he led a busy and active life on the farm 
he always found time to cooperate in movements in which the public 
benefited. He was one of the organizers of the creamery at Milbank in 
1895 and from that time to 1912 served on the directorate. He is also a 
stockholder and director of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company at 
Mile bank, which is one of the successful concerns of that section of 
the state, having in 1903 paid a dividend of fifty per cent. He is also 
a director in the Merchants National Bank there. His energy has 
frequently been at the service of the community as will be seen in the 
fact that he was called to serve in the state legislature in 1903, his 
work there proving so effective and so helpful that he was again called 
to serve in 1905. in the latter year he put aside all business cares 
and took up his abode in Milbank, where he occupies a nice residence 
and is now living in honorable retirement. 

	Mr. Kelley was married July 26, 1879, to Miss Eliza Bessenger, 
who was born and reared in Freeborn comity, Minnesota, a daughter of 
Morris and Anna Bessenger, who were natives of Germany Her father was a 
marble dealer in his native land and became an early settler of 
Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Kelley have a son and daughter: Elmer, who is a 
graduate of the business college at Mankato, and is now on his father's 
farm; and Elsie M., the wife of Henry Vandervoort, a prominent farmer 
of Grant county. Mr. Kelley gives firm support to the republican party. 
He belongs to the Masons, to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and to 
the Yeomen. On all public questions where the best interests of the 
community are involved he is ever to be found on the right side. He is 
a successful man because of the use he has made of his talents and his 
opportunities, because his thoughts are not self-centered but are given 
to the mastery of life problems and the fulfillment of his duty as a 
man in his relations to his fellow men and as a citizen in his 
relations to his city, state and country.