Fifth Generation

228. Charles William O'Kelley^66,99,100 was born on 7 July 1848 in Gwinnett, Georgia, United States,. He appeared in the census in 1880 in Cedar Creek, Crawford, Arkansas.¹⁰¹ He appeared in the census in 1910 in Crawford Co, AR.^102,103 He died on 16 April 1919 in Rudy, Crawford, Arkansas, United States. Charles was buried in April 1919 in Love Cem, Alma, Crawford Co, AR.¹⁰⁴ He was a Justice of the Peace for Lancaster Township and a Missionary Baptist Minister. He homesteaded property June 25 1892 located north of Rudy Arkansas and just north of where his son Albert lived much of his life. These are my ancestors.

While it is claimed that Charles was a minister for the Fine Springs Missionary Baptist Church I have found nothing to document this, only family tradition stories seem to make this claim. The founding of the church July 14, 1883 and it's first minister Rev John O Love is described on page 595 in the "History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas" a free book found on Google books. C A Heathcock and David Reed were also organizers. Charles's sister Mary A O'Kelley is listed as one of the church's original founding members but Charles & his wife Mary I is not listed so apparently his calling to preach at that church came later in life. The church was said to have been a log building located across the road from the current lodge hall on 282 loop road at Fine Springs north of Alma. At sometime the log church burned down and that was when the church and likely the school moved into the lower floor of the two story lodge hall. You can see barely see through the trees the back of this two story building in the top right hand corner of this photo. The Lodge Hall had the Fines Springs Public School and church on its ground floor but in the late 1920s the school consolidated with Alma and the church remained on the lower floor of the Lodge Hall until near 1940 when the lodge hall burned and the church was never rebuilt, its members went to other churches. The old log church was said to have been on the west side of the modern 282 Loop Highway very near the burial site for Mormon Prophet Parley Pratt, and I read an online story published by one of Pratt's descendants that his funeral service was held in the 1850s in the old primitive Baptist log church so church services must have existed for decades before the Fine Springs Missionary Baptist Church was founding in the log building in 1883. Here is an interesting story about the death of Parley Pratt at the knife of Hector McClean. This of event predates my O'Kelley great grandparents by several decades but my 2nd Great maternal Grandparents, Jonathan and Rachael Fine purchased this property just a few years after the death of Parley Pratt and prior to their purchase the area was known as "Tarrytown".

My grandmother, Mary I (Miller) O'Kelley was said to have operated a community school from the old log Fine Springs Church, I believe her school bell may still be in the possession of one of my relations. Mary was educated in Iowa and might have been one of the most educated person in her community so it seems only natural that she teach others. Van Buren founded its first school in 1869, Alma in 1870 so in 1879 when Mary most schools around Crawford Co were locally established by Free Masons.

abt 1910 or 1911

I continue to make discoveries about my ancestors. I bought the document to the right from Ebay. My great grandfather was a Justice of the Peace for the Landcaster Township in Crawford County Arkansas. This document is dated 1889.

Charles William O'Kelley and Mary Inez Miller were married on 29 May 1879 in Crawford Co, AR. Mary Inez Miller⁶⁶ was born on 26 May 1863 in Des Moines, Iowa, she was 16 years and 3 days old when she married Charles who was 30 years of age. Mary was buried in 1941 in Love Cem, Alma, Crawford Co, AR.¹⁰⁵ She died on 27 February 1941 in Rudy, Crawford County, Arkansas - At Home.

Photo of Gravestone.

Charles William O'Kelley and Mary Inez Miller had the following children: Confirmed

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i.
Helen Lucy O'Kelley.
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ii.
James Blair O'Kelley was born on 8 February 1882. He died on 26 May 1883. He was buried on 29 May 1883 in Love Cem, Alma, Crawford Co, AR.¹⁰⁶ Gravestone
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iii.
Oma Della O'Kelley.
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iv.
Charles Harold O'Kelley.
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v.
William Edwin O'Kelley was born in 1887. He died in 1913.
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vi.
John Hall O'Kelley.
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vii.
Maude May O'Kelley.
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viii.
Mary Ray (twin) O'Kelly.
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ix.
Thomas Milburn O'Kelley.
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x.
Roy Kile O'Kelley.
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xi.
Ruth Louisa O'Kelley.
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xii.
Robert Mahon O'Kelley.
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xiii.
Albert Henry O'Kelley. My grandfather
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xiv.
Frank Alfred O'Kelley.
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xv.
Ida Reika O'Kelley was born on 29 June 1907. She died on 7 August 1909. She was buried on 10 August 1909 in Love Cem, Alma, Crawford Co, AR.¹⁰⁷ Gravestone