The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-12-07

and make their home in washington,
d. c., it was Mrs. Kelley who attend.
ed to the strenuous task of packing
and migrating. This removal is no
ticed in Kelley history in the follow
ing words:
My family reached Washington on
the 9Th of January. Anyone who has
packed her household and personal
belongings to move several hundred
miles will see that this was much
easier said than done. This noble
woman in Grange 'circles Is known
as the Mother of the Grange" Al
most six years after the birth of our
order. the first representative meet
ing of the national grange occurred in
January, 1873, from the Sth to the
18th. For this melting Mrs. Kelley
opened her house at Georgetown, d..
c., and made everyone who came feel
entirely welcome. The meetings or
the entire session were held in her
parlGrs. At this meeting there was
an election of officers. and officers
for women were filled for the first
time. Mrs. Kelley was elected Po-
mora, at the seventh annual SEES
sion, held in st. Louis, Mo, She re-
signed her Office and Mrs. Thomas
Taylor, of South Carolina, was elected
in her stead Thereafter Mrs. Kelley
devoted herself to her family, until
i'll health removed her from active
life. Since then, until her death last
May, she had been tenderly cared for
by her daughters, with a devotion
equaled only by her own for them.
The first melting of the National
Grange, as delegate body, was held
at Georgetown, ID. c., as previously
mentioned, beginning the Sth day OF
January, 1878, with six of the found
ers of the order and seventeen dele,
gates present, representing eleven
states. Six of the delegates were
masters of state oranges, and the re-
mainder were deputies in the order.
In addition TO these, four women were
present, viz: Miss Carrie A. Hall.
Mrs. o. H. Kelley, Mrs. D. w. Adams
and Mrs. J. C. Abbott. The total num-
Der of oranges organized previous TO
this melting was 1852. Nearly 80,
900 charters have been issued to the
present time, and the organization is
now increasing in membership and
influence faster than at any time in
its history"
Mrs. r. w. Holt then favored the
assembly with a well-rendered recita'
ton, after which Mrs. Al Hickey dis
cussed
What We Owe the Founder Of
Our Order"
In an excellent paper as follows:
when called upon TO write on this
subject my first thought was, why
not have someone that has been a
Granger longer than | have, or at
least one that has been a farmer
longer, and better able to tell what
we owe the founders of our order
and then the thought came to me that
as lecturer OF the Olivet Grange,
have tried to impress it on the mem
bers, no matter what they were asked
to do. to do it the best they could
and no one would criticise, so ! said
to myself, Practice what you preach
take your own medicine" But first
we surely owe the founders OF ouI
order, this noble order, this Organiza
ton. The principles of the Grange
are heaven born and are the bulWarkS
and guardians of freedom, founded on
the eternal principle of divine reve
lations. They are sure guaranty ol
human rights. The farmer needs
Grange fellowship; he needs its great
heart to pity; its strong hand to help
and while there is work to do. there
will always be found in the order the
hearts and hands TO meet the eXigen
cies of the hour. Better Grange
mean better homes, happier families
and a greater love for the farm. We
all know o. Fl. Kelley was the found
er of our order, the father of oul
Grange. To him we owe the most
and although he has been a Granger
all these years, he has never tired OIL
shirked his duty, and even though
alone, having lost his companion
and helpmeet, his good wife having
joined the ranks of many gone before
and we sympathize with him in his
loss, for how much the Grange or
ganization owes to Sister Kelley will
never he known. In all her husbands
patience, work in building up and ex
tending the order, Mrs. Kelley wa:
his loyal supporter and sympathizer
and her interest in the undertaking
was no less than his own. Moreover
| her connection with the Grange was
| by no means limited to that of hel
/ husband, as she was herself the first
! Pomona of the National Grange, hav
| ing been elected at the 9th annual
session, which was held in the par
lors of her own home and was the
first representative session held; the
1st five annual meetings having beer
simply sessions of the founders and
| there seems TO have been no women
on the official list. But three women
were present at that session beside;
Mrs. Kelley. Miss Carrie A. Hall
Mrs. d. w. Adams and Mrs. j. c. Alb
bolt and the Miss Hall, the niece OF
Father Kelley, we owe the idea OF
giving women full membership In the