Thomas Kelley Biography This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography, including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1899. Page 284-285 Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm THOMAS KELLEY. Prominent among the energetic, progressive and successful men of Miller, South Dakota, is the subject of this sketch, who is now most efficiently serving as county treasurer of Hand county. His life history most happily illustrates what may be attained by faithful and continued effort in carrying out an honest purpose. Integrity, activity and energy have been the crowning points of his success. Mr. Kelley was born in Ogle county, Illinois, November 28, 1859, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Gleason) Kelley, natives of Ireland, who came to America when young and were married in this country. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, settled in Ogle county, Illinois, about 1854, and there he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. In their family were three sons, two of whom are now residents of Hand county, South Dakota. In the county of his nativity the subject of this review was reared and educated in much the usual manner of farmer boys of his day. Coming to Hand county, South Dakota, in 1882, he took up a claim northeast of Miller and engaged in agricultural pursuits there until December, 1898, when he removed to Miller to assume the duties of the office of county treasurer, to which position he had just been elected. He has creditably and satisfactorily filled the position since that date. He has also served in other minor offices and his public duties have always been performed in a most capable manner. In his political views he is a Populist. In business affairs he has met with marked success and is now the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land. Mr. Kelley was married, in the fall of 1882, to Miss Catherine Cawley, also a native of Illinois, and to them have been born nine children: Margaret M., Mary E., Ethel P., Clara A., Lucy C., Thomas F., Charles E., Lillie A. and an infant unnamed, all living. Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Kelley are Catholics.