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MeganKelly
ProfessorLynnM.Raymond
UWRT1203
3November2015
PickingaKellyfromaYarbrough
Fromaveryyoungage,Iwastaughttorespectfamilialoriginsandtraditionsheldwithin
thefamilyitself,betheyreligious,hierarchal,orsimplyonhowandwhentogather.TheKelly
clan,comingfrommypaternalgrandfatherslineage,wasuniqueinthesespheres,however,in
thattheydidnotextendawarmlovinghandtowardbonds,butratheronebuiltuponintellect,
succeedingthroughselfsustainedupwardmobility,andkeepingfamilyprofessionalanddistant.
OntheotherendofthespectrumistheYarbroughfamily,onmypaternalgrandmothersside,a
selfmadegroup,inboththefinancialandsocialsenses,thatiseagertoholdfamilygatherings
eachyear,keeprecords,andstayinclosecontactwithoneanotherandhadaverystrong
matriarchalworking.Priortoresearchingbothsides,Idalwayspreferredtherugged
individualisticstyleofaKelly,butnowIvefoundthatbothsidesofmypaternalfamilyhave
amazingqualitiesthatreallyhoneinonwhoIamcurrentlyandwhoIaspiretobecome.
TheKellysoriginatefromeitherScotlandorIreland,asthefirstKelly,AbnerKellyborn
in1770,cametoAmericainthelate1700sandthereissomedisputeonhisorigin.However,itis
knownforcertainthatheandhiswife,ElizabethKelly,boreonechildonthe15thofNovember,
1815,inMooreCounty,NorthCarolina,AbnerAbsalomKelly.AfirstgenerationAmerican
Kelly,AbnerAbsalomremainedinMooreCounty,potentiallyowningslavestobankonthe
boomingcottonindustryatthetime,andbeganthefamilyslegacyinNorthCarolina.Afew

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generationslater,theKellysremainedinNorthCarolina,butratherinSanfordCounty,where
theywouldsooninteractwiththeYarbroughfamily,anunlikelymatchinmanyways,asis
shownintheactionsandstoriesofmypaternalgreatgrandfather,JonesThomasKelly
(CompleteKellyTree).
Mygrandfatherdoesnotliketospeakofhisfatherthough,fromtherareinterviewswith
himandwhatmyfatherknew,hewastheembodimentoftheKellytraitsIhadnoticed.Mygreat
grandfatherJoneswasastonemasonwhoworkedwithhishands,muchincontrasttohissons
Glenn(mypaternalgrandfather)andBobby,whobecameasuccessfullawyer/mayorofBiltmore
ForestandoneofthetechnologicallyadeptpeopleworkingforIBMrespectively.This,however,
hadabsolutelynothingtodowithalackofintelligenceonJonespart,ratheranaddictionto
liquorandstrenuousphysicallabor.Accordingtomygrandmother,Glennswife,the
intelligenceofthefamilywasmainlythroughJoneswife,Ethel,howevermygrandfatherhas
assuredmethatJones,behindthebrawns,hadenoughbrainstomakeitforhimselfanddo
whateverhedesired.Joneswasabigman,notinfat,butwithbroadshoulders,awideframe,
andenoughmuscletobeoneofthebestmasonsinSanfordwhensober.Myfatheronceshowed
mehisweddingring,aringsoshockinglylargethatIcouldputtwofingersinwiththe
temptationtotryandsqueezeinathird.
WhatissoKellyaboutJonesdoesnotlieinhisphysicality,however,butratherinhis
coldanddistantattitudewhereinheactedasthoughhewasaloneintheworld.Hewasascary
mantoseewhencross,butwhennothewasreserved,likelyoutdrinkingawayfromthefamily
orpeopleentirely.Heisthedefinitionofwhatstaunchindividualismcanleadtoandbecome,
traitsofwhichIcanseeslightlyinmyfatherandhisfatheranduncle.Whetherthisfollowsthe

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linethroughallKellysornot,Iamuncertain,however,heisaninterestingcharacterthatsurely
canclassifyafamily.
Ontheothersideofthespectrum,bornabout1770inEngland,JeremiahYarboroughwas
thefirstofourYarboroughstomovetotheUnitedStates.ImmigrationlawsintheUnitedStates
atthetimewereveryloose,soEnglishimmigrantslikeJeremiahhadaneasytimegettinginto
thecountrymuchunliketoday.Helikelycameacrossaboat,onethatlikelycarriedotherfellow
EnglishmengoingtoAmericawiththedismalhopeofachievingsomekindofgreatupward
mobility,asdidtheothersatthetime(Duignan).Itwasthesehopesthatsenthimhereandsetthe
Yarbroughsonapathtowardsuccessand,muchlater,theKellys.
TheYarboroughscontinuedonintheirpaths,keepingmostlytoSanford,andwentonto
haveagreatdealoffinancialsuccess.However,thissuccessleadtoatragedy,thefamily,
specificallyArchibaldYarbrough,ownedslaves,aratherprofitableindustryatthetime,butonly
onethatthewealthiestofSoutherners,lessthanaquarter,hadthemoneytoownany
("ConditionsofAntebellumSlavery).AftertheCivilWar,theYarbroughsresidedinSanford,
openingupanicecreamanddairyplacethatremainstoday,thoughbackinthedaythedairyand
materialsusedwereallfromtheirownfarm.Accordingtomyfather,EdwardKelly,thisice
creamwasawardedasbeingthebestinSanfordyetthishasyettobeverifiedasidefrom
anecdotaltastetests.
Whenmypaternalgrandmother,JanetKelly,wasborn,shewastheyoungestofnine.
Thiswasntentirelyagainstthetenorofthetimes,butthisbecameaproblemwhenhermother
diedofstomachulcerswhenJanetwas5.Motherless,andwithasickfathertoo,awomantook
theplaceofhermother,marryingJanetsfather,beforeJanetwaseven8,onhisdeathbedand

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keepingthefamilytogether.ThiswomanwasEdnaEarl.Idonlyhadthepleasureofmeeting
heroncepriortoherdeath,butfromallthatIhaveseen,shewastrulyaYarboroughatheart.All
theyearlyfamilygatheringsofYarboroughsbecamecenteredaroundEdna,awomanwhothey
lovedenoughtowritecountlessstoriesandrecordsof,awomanwhowasnotonlyamotherto
nineyoungorphans,butateacherandaguideinallaspectsofherlife.Herselflessnessinthe
nameoffamilyembodiedperfectlytheunityoftheYarboroughsandshemeshedasthoughshe
hadbeeninthatplaceherentiretime.
Lookingbetweenmyfathersfamilies,IseebothunityandadistancethatIfindtobe
partiallyuniquefromotherfamilies.Itisasthough,whenatafamilyevent,thereisdistancebut
alsoanunspokenlove.Theheritageswevecomefromhavemoldedourcurrentinteractionsinto
simpleyetstrongrelationsthatdontnecessitateeffortonthehighestdegree.Perhapsitssome
deepculturalthingpassedfromtheIrish,Scottish,orEnglish,butIcannotbesure.AllIcansay
isthatbeingproudofonesheritageistobeproudofthebondsonecurrentlyholdswiththeir
family,theintricaciesthatmakeafamilymorethanasimplegroupofpeopleyouknow.Ireally
thoughtIdneverunderstandwhymyfamilyactsthewaytheydo,butnowIcanbeassuredthat
thereisareasonandthatit,perhaps,isntsobad.

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WorksCited
CompleteKellyTree.Ancestry.com.Web.November1,2015.
"ConditionsofAntebellumSlavery."
PBS
.PBS,n.d.Web.02Nov.2015.
Duignan,PeterJ."MakingandRemakingAmerica:ImmigrationintotheUnitedStates."
Hoover
Institution
.N.p.,n.d.Web.02Nov.2015.
Kelly,Edward.PersonalInterview.29October2015.

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