Edward J. Kelly, cashier of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank, of Effingham, was born June 14, 1868, at New Brunswick, N. J., a son of James and Alice (Tobin) Kelly, both natives of Ireland. Upon immigrating to this country in 1844 they made their first home in New Jersey, and from there came to Kansas in 1869, locating in Grasshopper township, where James met with wonderful success as an agriculturist. His first investment was for eighty acres of prairie land which he improved and gradually added to his holdings until he was the owner of 500 acres of good land. James Kelly accumulated his estate by the exercise of good judgment in his farming operations, hard labor, and the exercise of the strictest economy. At first he did not like the new country. Becoming discouraged, as many others did, after the bad years during the seventies, he sold out, but fortunately, as it later proved for him, he was compelled to take back his land from the purchaser. He later changed his opinion concerning the future of Kansas and invested heavily in land at every opportunity. James Kelly was born in 1828, and died in 1894. His wife was born in 1830, and died in 1912. He first came to America in 1844 when but sixteen years of age, and was married in New Jersey. The children of this estimable pioneer couple were: James, who died at the age of seven years; Lawrence P., a resident of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Edward J., and Mary E., residing in Effingham.
Edward J. Kelly was educated in the district schools and spent two years as a student in St. Benedict’s College in Atchison. He lived on the old home place of his parents until 1885, in the meantime improving one of his father’s farms in Benton township, upon which he moved and resided thereon until 1894, at which time he married and moved on another farm which he owned in the same township. Mr. Kelly followed farming until 1903, and then removed to Effingham and engaged in the hardware and grain business for a period of five years. In 1909 he entered the State Bank of Effingham as bookkeeper and remained one year, when he became financially interested in the Farmers and Merchants State Bank, of which he is the present efficient cashier.
Mr. Kelly was married February 16, 1898, to Mary Gerety, of Monrovia, Kan., a daughter of Richard and Sarah Rooney Gerety, natives of Ireland, who first immigrated to Indiana, and from there came to Kansas as early as 1856. Both are now deceased. The Gerety’s settled on the prairie south of Monrovia, when Indians were camping in the neighborhood. They lived there all of their days and prospered. Richard Gerety died in 1906, and his widow removed to Effingham, where she died in 1910. They were the parents of the following living children: Mrs. Elizabeth (Berney), Horton, Kan.; Thomas Gerety, near Nortonville, Kan.; James, Everest, Kan.; John, Wichita, Kan.; Margaret, Independence, Kan.; Richard, Wichita, Kan.; Sarah, Colorado Springs, Colo. During the Civil war Mr. Gerety purchased horses for the United States Government.
It is not alone as a farmer, merchant and banker that Mr. Kelly has achieved a certain amount of prominence, but he has taken an active part in political affairs during his life and stands high in the councils of the Democratic party. He was elected to represent Atchison county in the State legislature in the session of 1909, and during that session acquitted himself creditably as an honest and fearless legislator. He was a member of the committees on roads and highways, mines and mining, and judicial apportionments, etc., and has the unique record of never missing a roll call of the house while attending the session. Mr. Kelly has likewise shown his interest in his home city by serving on the city council for four years. His religious affiliations are with the Catholic church.
Farmers and Merchants State Bank, Effingham, Kansas.
This bank was organized in 1905, with a capital stock of $12,000, and officers as follows: President, U. B. Sharpless; secretary and cashier, A. J. Smith; vice-president, Fred Sutter; directors, R. M. Thomas, J. W. Davis, C. N. Snyder, U. B. Sharpless, A. J. Smith. Since this time there have been some changes in the personnel of the official body governing the bank’s affairs, and the present officers are as follows: President, Fred Sutter; vice-president, L. T. Hawk; cashier, E. J. Kelly; assistant cashier, D. R. Gerety; directors, Fred Sutter, L. T. Hawk, Alexander McKay, U. B. Sharpless; E. J. Kelly. The capital and surplus now exceed $15,000 and the bank averages in deposits over $120,000. In 1910 the bank erected a handsome brick building on the corner of Main and Howard streets, which is fitted up with handsome new fixtures and a new burglar proof vault of the latest construction at a cost of over $4,000. This bank is purely a local concern and is financed by local capital, all of the stockholders residing in Effingham and vicinity, and comprising the leading merchants and farmers of Effingham and the surrounding country.
BENTON L. BROCKETT.
Successful business man, upright citizen and Christian worker, are characterizations which aptly describe Benton L. Brockett, who has been established in the lumber business in Atchison for over thirty years. He began as a poor man with little capital, and has built up a splendid retail concern at 1019 Main street. Mr. Brockett first established a small lumber yard at East Atchison in 1885, and six years later moved to Atchison. His buildings and warerooms occupy space 175×150 feet, and he employs six men and four teams to handle his extensive business. The concern supplies Atchison and vicinity with lumber, lime, cement, and builder’s material, including cement blocks, and practically all materials used in building. The yard work includes the only cement working plant in the city which turns out cement blocks for foundation work and porches.
Benton L. Brockett was born in Ashtabula, Ohio, September 5, 1864. His parents were Lewis B. and Lucy S. (Fisk) Brockett, natives of New York and Ohio, respectively. The Brockett family is of English origin, and the founder of the family in America first settled near New London, Conn. His descendants afterward located in the state of New York. Lewis B. was the son of Ambrose Brockett, who moved to Ashtabula county, and was one of the first settlers of the Western Reserve. Here Lewis was reared, and married Lucy S. Fisk, a daughter of an early settler of the Western Reserve. He became a merchant at Saybrook, and served as postmaster under President Cleveland’s administration. He died at the advanced age of eighty-six years. The mother of Benton L. is still living and is now over eighty-three years of age. To them were born three sons and three daughters, namely: James D., of Lincoln, Neb.; Haddie, the wife of Charles C. Parker, a resident of Portland. Ore.; Ellen F., residing in Ashtabula; and Amy, the wife of Charles Simon, of Ashtabula, Ohio; and two died in infancy.
Benton L. was educated in the Ashtabula schools, and came west in 1884, where he engaged in business, as stated in a preceding paragraph. Success has attended his efforts, and he is universally recognized as one of the substantial men of the city. The account of the growth of Mr. Brockett’s business is simply a narrative of his life work on the material side. His prosperity is well deserved, and has been acquired by close application to his affairs and square and honorable dealings with his fellow men. Mr. Brockett was married on October 10, 1888, to Daisy Denton, a daughter of Henry Denton, an attorney of Atchison; she died July 15, 1898, leaving two sons, namely: Louis D., born August 14, 1889, who is associated in the real estate and loan business with C. D. Walker, and married Isabella, a daughter of Mr. Walker. The second son is Wallace James Brockett, born February 14, 1895, and is a student at Baker University, at Baldwin, Kan. On July 23, 1903, Mr. Brockett married Margaret Schriver, a daughter of Peter P. Schriver, of Cedar Point, Kan. To this union one child has been born, Helen Louise, born November 12, 1907.