Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-21

| Oliver H. Kelley. known to farmers
throughout the entire country as the
| father and founder of the Patrons
Of Husbandry. or "Grangers." as 1t is
familiarly called. died at his home, 2014
Kalorama road northwest. yesterday
afternoon. While Mr.. Kelley had been
in failing health for some time. his
death was due to a sudden attack OF
heart failure. lasting but twenty-four
hours.
| Funeral services will be held at IL
o'clock Thursday morning at the fam
lily residence. Rev. Herbert Scott
Smith of st. Margarets Episcopal
Church will officiate. assisted by Rev.
Robert Talbot of st. Paurs Episcopal
Church. The interment will take place
in Rock Creek cemetery.
| Mr.. Kelley was born in Boston, Janu-
! airy Z. 1896. and was educated in the
public schools there. When twenty-one
| became employed as a drug clerk. He
worked later as a reporter for the Chi
| cago Tribune and then as telegrapher.
Mr.. Kelley gave up this work to go to
| Minnesota, where he traded with the In
| dams and afterward engaged In farming.
| He was the first person in that state to
| operate a reaping machine and was the
second person in the state to become a
1 L
| was life member.
Plans to Organize Farmers.
| In 1854 he came to Washington to ac-
cept a position IN the bureau Of agricul-
| ture of the Department Of the Interior.
| from which the present Department OF
| Agriculture grew. While on an ofnclal
| tour through the south he became inn
| pressed with the possibilities Of an or
| ganization Of the farmers OF the country
| along fraternal lines and for their mutual
| welfare. and IT was from this trip that
| he developed the ideas which later were
embodied in the Patrons of Husbandry.
! In perfecting the organization he as
ISOLATED himself with William NJ. Ireland,
Rev. John Trimble, jr.. William Saunders.
Rev. A. b. Grosh. j. r. Thompson and
| others then resident in Washington. as
well as his niece, Miss Caroline a. Hall.
who rendered him invaluable service in
| the formative days Of the order.
| The first meeting of the National
| Grange, the supreme body Of the order.
was held in Mr.. Kelley's home. then in
Georgetown, In February, 1873. and he
held for many years and until he went
| to Florida, where he founded the town OF
| Carrabelle, now one of the ports of en-
| try on the Gulf of Mexico.
Interest Never Diminished.
| While Mr.. Kelley did not take an active
part in the affairs of the order during
the latter years of his life, his interest
in it never diminished. and but two years
ago he began the task Of writing a ritual
for Its highest degree that would embody
his earliest ideas upon the subject. His
last appearance at a meeting of the Ma
| tional Grange was at its session held in
! this city three years ago.
| He was a man of indomitable will and
energy. and today he is affectionately
called by the members of the big order
which he founded Father Kelley" In
| 1875 he wrote and published book en-
titled "Origin and Progress of the Order
Of the Patrons Of Husbandry in the
United States-a History From 1866 to
1873" which gives the minutest details
| of the inception and perfection of the
order and contains portraits of those
who during those years contributed. to
it's success.
| Mr.. Kelley was married I'm Boston in
1852 to Miss Temperance Lane. Mrs.
Kelley died little more than year
ago. Three daughters, Julia, Fanny and
| Grace Kelley, all of this city. and a
| brother Rev. Charles w. Kelley. sur
| vive him.