Davis Uriah I | Born 1707

KELLY, Merl Gates

Male 1894 - 1977  (83 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name KELLY, Merl Gates 
    Born 4 Aug 1894  Marysville Or Oregon House, Yuba County, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Male 
    Died 11 Nov 1977  Chico, Butte County, California Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 14 Nov 1977  Chico Cemetery, Chico, California Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I4948  Uriah Davis I - Genealogy
    Last Modified 21 Jun 2018 

    Father KELLY, Joseph Klinck,   b. 8 Jun 1845, Algonquin Township, Mc Henry County, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 Nov 1919, Near Redding, Shasta County, California Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 74 years) 
    Mother GLEASON, Alice Isadora,   b. 15 Mar 1852, Easton, Madison County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Jan 1943, Chico, Butte County, California Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 90 years) 
    Married 5 May 1869  Near Chicago, Lake County, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F1653  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 METHRIN, Methvin Or 
    Children 
     1. KELLY
    Last Modified 24 Jun 2018 
    Family ID F1957  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 STEVENS, Alice Marguerite,   b. 2 Apr 1904, California Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Nov 1971, Sacramento, Sacramento County, California Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 67 years) 
    Married 5 Dec 1921  Chico, Butte County, California Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. KELLY, Alta Marie,   b. 24 Sep 1922, Chico, Butte County, California Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 4 Apr 1991, Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 68 years)
     2. KELLY, Elsie Aloise,   b. 12 Mar 1924, Chico, Butte County, California Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 15 Apr 2000, Stockton, San Joaquin County, California Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 76 years)
     3. KELLY
    Last Modified 24 Jun 2018 
    Family ID F1312  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 3 NEWQUIST, Susie Winonia,   b. Abt 1922, California Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef Nov 1977  (Age ~ 55 years) 
    Married 18 Nov 1950  Chico, Butte County, California Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 24 Jun 2018 
    Family ID F1958  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Merl, a native Californian, lived in Chico from 1920 until his death in 1977 at age 83. Census records indicate he was born in 1894 at Oregon House, Yuba Co., CA., where his family had located from Algonquin, Mc Henry Co., Illinois around 1880. He appears in the Marysville area with his older brothers and parents in the 1900 census where his father, Joseph, was a gold miner.
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      Merl, a WWI soldier, was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army when attending basic training at camp Kearny, Ca., By a written request to the President of the U.S. that Merle was needed at home. After his divorce from Alice, he stayed with his mother until she died in 1944.
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      The 1920 census has Merl, his mother Alice and uncle Fernando Kelly all living together in Buckeye Township, Shasta Co., CA., (his mother had been widowed by then).
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      We can follow the movements of Merl from 1921 on through Chico city directories located at the Sutro Library in San Francisco, CA.
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      1921 finds Merl living with his widowed mother Alice and his uncle Fernando G. Kelly at 4045 7th street, his occupation was listed as laborer, his uncle was a public school teacher.
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      At the end of 1921 Merl was married to Alice M. Stevens. The Dec. 6, 1921 issue of the Enterprise Record shows: Couple Marry - Alice M. Stevens and Merl G. Kelly, both of Chico were married last night at 8:30 by Justice of the Peace J.L. Barnes in the municipal building.
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      1922 has Merl working at D. M. (Diamond Match) Co. as a Laborer.
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      Merl and Alice moved to 4821 9th street in Chico in about 1928, and to 4534 9th Street in 1931. About 1930 Merl is listed as a chauffeur.
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      About 1933 He and Alice had split up, and gone their separate ways.
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      In 1935 Merl and a woman by the surname Methrin had a child together.
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      1937 finds Merl at 244 W. 9th, and at 644 W. 2nd in 1945.
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      Another career change came about for Merl in 1948 when he is listed as a reader at the Christian Science Church, his address is also different at 440 W. 4th.
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      By November 24, 1950 Merl had married Suzie Newquist.
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      Merl's death certificate indicated he was a self employed man and had been a widower at the time of his death.
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      Merl's Obituary appears in the Chico Enterprise Record as follows;

      M.G. Kelly
      A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday at the Brusie Funeral Home for Merl G. Kelly, 83, of 1147 Neal Dow Ave.
      Kelly died Friday at a local hospital.
      Born Aug. 1, 1894 in Marysville to Joseph and Alice Kelly, he lived in Yuba County until the age of six, when the family moved to Redding. He lived there until joining the Army in 1918, and moved to Chico after his military service.
      Survivors include three daughters, Alta M. Bassett of Chico; Betty Comasky of Stockton, and Elsie E. Perry of Eagle, Colo.
      Bishop Robert Standing will officiate at the services, and Mrs. Joyce Bae will sing "Beyond the Sunset", and "Going Home." Interment will be in the veterans section of the Chico Cemetery with Jimmy McMahon, Everett Cudd, Frank Zucca, Albert Coleman, Tony Squillace and Ernie Cook as casket bearers.
      The flag will be presented by members of the Chico Post 17 of the American Legion.

  • Sources 
    1. [S122] Butte Co., California Certificate of death, Book 054, Record 1138.