Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-10
Passes Away at the Home
of His Sister In
Somerville.
END CAME LAST NIGHT
Was Pastor of ST. Mary's Catholic
Church in fhis city-Had Been III
for Many Months-Recame Worse in
July.

Somerville, Mass, Dec. 9.-Rev.
H1dgh B. Kelly, pastor of st. Mary's
fchurch. Ottumwa, Iowa, and Dean of
the ottumwa Deanery. is dead here at
the home of his sister, Miss Mary Kel-
ly He was taken very i'll in Chicago
last August While enroute to his fcme
in Ottumwa and was compelled to re-
main in the Alexian Brothers hospital
for about ten days. His brother.
Father Kelly. of Boston, came on to
Chicago and the stricken priest was
| conveyed to the home of his relatives
in this city. The disease with which
Father Kelley was afflicted, tubeeuios-
Is of the bowels, took firmer hold I'D.
On him until the end came last night.
Father Kelly was born here in 1860
and was ordained in December, 1885.
Very Rev. H. B. Kelley, V. F.,
was born in Boston, Mass, in
| 1860. He attended the pub
lie schools in Boston, and after fin
ishing the course there he entered the
Boston college. which he attended for
four years, graduating with high hon
ors.
| Feeling that he was called to serve
God in the church, he applied to Arch
bishop Williams. at Boston, and was
sent to st. Mary's seminary at Ralti-
more. He studied for the priesthood
and made an excellent srecord for
scholarship and department. After
| finishing his education in this institu-
ton of learning; he, was.ordained as a
priest in December. 1885, sixteen
years ago. Those sixteen years have
been filled with work for the church
and for the Catholic people which re-.
fleets credit not only upon Dean Kel-
ly but upon the Catholic faith in gen
eral and proclaimed him priest and
| pastor OF more than ordinary ability
and worth.
Father Kelly regarded the western
country as the best field for an outlay
OF energy and Christian zeal, and up.
on being ordained he became affiliated
with the diocese of Davenport. His
work was as assistant pastor at the
Cathedral i'll Davenport, but his abil-
lty was so marked that he was soon
transferred to Fairfield where he
spent six years as pastor He fast
Won an enviable reputation for ability
not only to look after the interests of
his people, mental, moral and physical
but to better the financial condition of
the parish of which he had charge, a
particular in which many men who
do valuable work for the church in the
pulpit are lacking
| After six years spent at Fairfield,
Dean Kelly was sent to Marengo
where for few years he acted as
pastor, building UP the church in ev-
cry way and inspiring his parishion-
ers with faith and hope. From Ma
Irengo he was transferred to Parnel,
where he remained until coming to Of
tumwa to take charge of ST. Mary's
church, to which pastorate he was ap-
pointed in October, 1899.
When Father Kelly came to Ottum.
wa he succeeded the late Dean
kreckel, who was pastor of ST. Mary's
for many years. This in itself reauir-
ed that Father Kelly be a pastor and
priest of no little ability, for a great
deal was expected of one who should
take up the work laid down by the
much beloved Father Kreckel. The
people We're not disappointed and the
new. priest soon enjoyed the love and
respect of his whole parish. The
church prospered during his pastorate.
and he made record in this city
which equalled the one he had already
made in other localities where he had
had charges. But his health began
failing, and, although he clung to his
work with a will which strengthened
the love of his people for him, he was
finally forced to give up the fight, and
for several months he was ill in this
city.
Last summer he spent some weeks
at, Mackinac Island, Michigan, in the
hope of regaining his former health
and for awhile he was thought to be
improving. On his way home. howey-
er, he was taken i'll again and at Chi
cago he was taken to the Aleyian
Brothers hospital, where he remain!
ed for ten days. He was then fax.
en- to his old home in Massachusetts
where he made desperate fight for
| his life. Careful nursing and the
prayers of thousands of friends and
admirers prolonged his life until last
night, when death finally came and
put an end to useful life of generos-
ity, zeal. intelligence and Christianity.
The hearts of all who knew him are
sad today in the knowledge of the
passing of one of the best and most
able priests in the church
Dean Kelly died on the feast day of
the Immaculate Conception" feast
very dear to him and all through his
life. He had a most wonderful love
and veneration for Mary, the mother
lof God.