Biography - Beverly A. Kelly

BEVERLY A. KELLY, clerk of the district court, ex ofﬁcio recorder and notary public, at Bellevue, La., was born in what is now Webster Parish, La., July 9, 1851, to William A. and Martha A. (De Loach) Kelly, who were born in South Carolina and Georgia, in 1815 and 1821, respectively, their marriage taking place in Montgomery County, Ala., and resulting in the birth of eleven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the sixth, two sons and two daughters now living. In 1843 or 1844 William A. Kelley removed with his family to Union Parish, and two years later to what is now Webster Parish, being then part of Bossier Parish, and in 1856 to Bellevue, where he conducted a hotel and managed a wagon shop until his death, in 1868. He was a member of the police jury for some years, and was parish treasurer during the war, and until 1867 or 1868 after the war. He was a member of the F. & A. M., a Methodist, but his widow, who died in 1886, was a Baptist. The subject of this sketch was reared and educated at Bellevue, the parish seat of Bossier, and for three or four years following his sixteenth year was in a printing office, after which he clerked and kept books in a store for ﬁve or six years, and during 1870 and again in 1876, he held the office of deputy clerk. In 1880 he engaged in the mercantile business for himself at Bellevue for seven or eight years; and the same year he was elected parish treasurer and ex officio school treasurer, which positions be ﬁlled until 1890. In December, 1889, he was appointed district clerk for Bossier Parish, and these positions he ﬁlled to the satisfaction of all concerned. In January, 1878, he was married to Eudocia, the daughter of Judge Benjamin F. and Virginia E. Fort, natives of Georgia, who came to Bossier Parish about 1851, their deaths occurring here in 1881 and 1887, respectively. Judge Fort was a successful lawyer, and ﬁlled the positions of parish judge from 1874 to 1878, and parish treasurer for some years before the war. The wife of Mr. Kelly was born in Bossier Parish, in 1853, and her union with Mr. Kelly resulted in the birth of ﬁve children, one son and two daughters now living. Mr. Kelly has 245 acres of improved land, and about 400 acres unimproved on Red River; also several tracts of hill land, and has the satisfaction of knowing that this property has been earned by his own efforts. He is secretary of the Farmers’ Alliance, but belongs to no church denomination. He is a member of the K. of P., having ﬁlled several positions in the order, including that of chancellor commander. He is a member of the L. of H., and ﬁlls the position in his lodge of commander. Mr. Kelly has worked himself up in the positions he has ﬁlled by his own efforts mainly, as he had but little educational advantages. On account of the death of his father, he was necessarily taken away from school at the early age of sixteen years, and what information he acquired since was by self-application.

Contributed 29 Aug 2020 by Norma Hass, extracted from Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana, published in 1890, pages 135-136.