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Edwin Clair Kelso
Edwin Clair Kelso, secretary of the North Platte Chamber of Commerce, was born near Doniphan, Nebraska, August 12, 1884, son of Joseph and Mary Jane (Miller) Kelso. He of Scotch, Irish, and Dutch descent. His father served in the infantry during the Civil War. Upon moving to Nebraska he homesteaded in Hamilton County and later engaged in the broom manufacturing business at Grand Island, where he died in April, 1902. His mother resides in Pasedena, California.
Upon leaving school at Grand Island, Mr. Kelso became manager of the Nebraska Telephone Company there. He was afterward Nebraska State Fire Inspector, and manager of the Nebraska Telephone Company at McCook. After leaving McCook he was transferred to Omaha as district commercial agent for the Nebraska Telephone Company. He was thereafter district manager of the Equitable Life Association Company at McCook and secretary of the McCook Chamber of Commerce. He is a Republican.
On November 27, 1912, he was married to Mary Agnes Murphy at Cheyenne, Wyoming. She was born at Lincoln, Nebraska, June 29, 1883.
Mr. Kelso is a member of the Elks and the United Commercial Travelers. His hobby is fishing. Residence: North Platte. (Photograph in Album).
Edward L. Kemper
Since 1883 Edward L. Kemper has been a farmer and livestock feeder in Hamilton County. He was born at Lancaster, Wisconsin, June 27, 1859, son of George J. and Anna E. (Womelsdorf) Kemper.
George J. Kemper was born at Berleburg, Germany, June 14, 1823, and was a dyer in his native country. He came to America in 1847, settling in Philadelphia, and later removed to Wisconsin. He came to Nebraska in September, 1883.
He left Germany to avoid military training, and in Wisconsin took a leading part with others in building a church which they named the Liberty Ridge Church. He played an important part in the history of that state, and was a pioneer farmer in Nebraska. He died at Aurora, February 5, 1898.
Anna E. Womelsdorf was born in Berleburg, Germany. She was a well educated woman, and a devoted wife and mother. Her death occurred at Aurora, May 26, 1920.
Edward L. Kemper attended public and private schools, and soon thereafter entered farming in which he continued until his retirement. He has served as president of the Farmers Elevator Company at Aurora, as a member of the school board of rural district No. 77, and is a member of the Red Cross and the Federated Church of Aurora. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
On December 19, 1883, Edward L. Kemper was married to Mary W. Althaus at Liberty Ridge. They left for Nebraska the same day, arriving at Aurora two days later, purchasing an 80 acre farm one and one-half miles west of Aurora. They have resided there continuously for forty-two years.
Mrs. Kemper, who was a teacher in the public schools, was born at Annaton, Wisconsin, March 31, 1862, of German parentage. Their children are: Clara M., born February 4, 1886; Alberta A., born October 4, 1887; Bessie M., born January 17, 1889, who attended the University of Nebraska one year; Clarence A., born December 10, 1890, who was first married to Mary Rockwell. They had one son, George W. She died May 16, 1923, and in 1927 Clarence married Marie Scott Torgensen. Walter L., was born October 31, 1895; and Carleton G., on February 20, 1898. Carleton married Miriam Hagelin. Clara married George H. Coy and has a son, George Walter. Albert married Claude Lantzer and has two children, Maurice Leon and Eileen Luree. Bessie married Clarence Recknor and has three children, Edward E., Mary Elizabeth and Doris H.
Mr. Kemper is a Democrat and from 1923-25 served as a member of the Nebraska legislature. His hobby is hiking to the farm. He is a lover of trees, and woods in general. Residence: Aurora. (Photograph in Album).
William Kemper
William Kemper, who is a lifelong resident of this state, was born at Dorchester, Nebraska, April 17, 1873, the son of Wilhelm and Sophia (Baird) Kemper. His father, who was born at Sost, Germany, March 20, 1841, came to America in 1867 and three years later settled in Saline County, Nebraska, where he was a farmer at Dorchester until his death, May 16, 1909. His mother was born of Scotch parents at Springfield, Illinois, April 30, 1855, and died at Dorchester, June 1, 1919.
Mr. Kemper attended public and parochial schools at West Blue, Nebraska, and has been a farmer near Dorchester most of his life. He has served as a director of the local school board for three years, has been a member of the Maccabees since 1898, and plans to join the Saline County Historical Society soon. He is a member of the Nebraska Sportsman's Association, holds membership in the Nebraskana Society, and is a member of the German Evangelical Church.
On March 3, 1899, he was married to Lydia M. Johnson at Crete. Mrs. Kemper, whose ancestry was German, was born at Crete, July 27, 1880, and died at Dorchester, February 28, 1915. Two children were born to this marriage: Alvene W., April 28, 1900, who married Edith L. Mantey; Arthur J., July 16, 1902.
Of his marriage to Lillie Grace Younkin, which occurred at Dorchester, the following children were born: Evelyn L., April 10, 1917; Willard E., March 21, 1920; Orville C., June 23, 1923; and Lawrence B., August 21, 1926, who died December 5, 1931. Alvene is secretary of the Building & Loan Association of Grand Junction, Colorado, and Arthur is a farmer at Julesburg, Colorado. Residence: Dorchester.
George Edward Kennedy
Born at Oakland, California, October 19, 1881, George Edward Kennedy has been a resident of Nebraska for the past 48 years. He has three brothers, four half brothers and two sisters, of which two brothers and both sisters are living. His father, Charles Johnston Kennedy, was born at South Bend, Indiana, November 29, 1834, and died at Saint Edward, Nebraska, December 29, 1896. He served as manager of the Plasa Gold Mine in California, and was later a funeral director and retail furniture merchant. His ancestry was Scotch-Irish. His mother, Martha Jane (Kyle) Kennedy, was born in New York, November 25, 1851, and died at Saint Edward, Nebraska, November 30, 1906. She was also of Scotch-Irish descent.
Mr. Kennedy attended high school at Saint Edward for two years and upon the death of his father left school and began caring for the family. He is now the owner and operator of two service stations and a silver fox farm at Newman Grove. He is also the owner of two quarter sections of fine farming land. Mr. Kennedy is a member of the Odd Fellows and the Masons, is chairman of the Newman Grove Relief Committee, and is secretary of the Free Fair Board. He is affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is serving as steward at this time. He is a director of the Co-operative Creamery Association of Newman Grove also.
He was married to Lillian Victoria Cain in Platte County, Nebraska, September 14, 1904. Mrs. Kennedy was born at Lindsay, Nebraska, August 9, 1886, and died at Newman Grove, July 12, 1924. She was the daughter
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of pioneer Nebraskans. Five children were born to them, Helen M., born September 26, 1905; George Edward, Jr., born January 16, 1911; Vivian L., born November 29, 1912; Thomas Cain, born October 12, 1914; and Margaret Lillian, born March 7, 1920.
On May 27, 1927, Mr. Kennedy married Esther L. Baker, the daughter of Charles and Ella (Hart) Baker who came to Nebraska in 1860. Mrs. Kennedy is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and was a teacher of mathematics for a period of ten years. She also served as principal of the Newman Grove High School from 1924 until 1927. They have a daughter, Ruth Marilyn, born June 14, 1931. George and Vivian manage their father's fox farm. Residence: Newman Grove. (Photograph on Page 641).
George Lincoln Kennedy
On December 17, 1861, George L. Kennedy was born at Brownville, Nebraska. His father, Stephen Wilkinson Kennedy, an ardent prohibitionist from the ranks of the Republican party, was a farmer and clergyman. He was born at Dayton, Ohio, June 12, 1816, and died at Auburn, September 1, 1903. He was of Irish descent. Eliza (Ware) Kennedy, mother of George L. Kennedy, was born in New Jersey, December 16, 1828. She was of English and Scotch descent, and during her early life was a teacher. She died at Brownville, May 13, 1911.
George L. Kennedy received his education in the public and high schools of Brownville. From early life he engaged in agricultural pursuits, and has been a successful farmer since early manhood. He has lived in Nebraska all his life, and is an extensive landowner in and around Brownville.
His marriage to Annie Isabelle Marsh was solemnized at Brownville, March 28, 1883. Mrs. Kennedy was born there on September 9, 1861, and died there on January 26, 1915. She was of English descent, coming from the line of John Marsh of Borton, England, who settled in America in 1635; her great-great grandfather, Jasper Marsh, was a soldier in the Revolution.
Of this marriage there are four children: Ethel, born May 19, 1884, who married Roscoe Russel Blankenship; Ilma, born December 3, 1886, who married Carl W. Biskel; Burtis, born October 12, 1890, and Cassius, born June 30, 1894, who married Ruth Anna Courtright.
Mr. Kennedy is a Bryan Democrat. For many years he has been active in the Masonic order, and is a 32nd degree member of the Scottish Rite body, a Knight Templar and member of the Shrine.
He is an earnest church worker, and is a member of the Peru Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a Kiwanian, and a member of the Nebraska Territorial Association. Residence: Brownville. (Photograph on Page 643).
Howard Kennedy, Jr.
Howard Kennedy, distinguished judge and lawyer of Nebraska, was born at Nebraska City, Otoe County, Nebraska, October 11, 1868, and has lived in this state all his life. His father, Howard Kennedy, who was born at Lansingburg, Rensselaer County, New York, August 14, 1832, and died at Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, April 18, 1905, was a prominent pioneer in the state. He served as the first superintendent of public schools at Omaha; the Howard Kennedy School of that city was named in his honor. He took an active part in the early settlement of Nebraska as receiver for the United States land office in Nebraska City and Lincoln; was secretary of the land department of the Union Pacific Railway Company; and was a member of the Omaha board of education, 1871-81. He was active in Presbyterian Church work throughout the state. His ancestry was Scotch and English; he was a descendant of Robert Kennedy of Ayrshire, Scotland, who settled in Maryland in 1755, and who was commander of a transport ship at the time of the French and Indian War.
His mother was born at Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, July 31, 1836, and died at Omaha, December 22, 1905. She was graduated from the Cedar Hill Seminary at Mount Joy, and later taught an art class there. She was active in art and literary circles and in mission and church affairs. She was of English and German descent; one of her ancestors, George Long, came to America about 1760 settling first in Virginia and later moving to Mannhein, Pennsylvania, where his house, built of brick that was brought from England, still stands.
Judge Kennedy attended school at Omaha, and in 1885 was graduated from high school there. He was awarded the A. B. degree at Williams College in 1889 and the LL. B. degree at Washington University in St. Louis, 1891. He was editor of the Williams Literary Monthly, was president of the college literary society; was president of the junior class; and was valedictorian, 1891. He received Phi Beta Kappa membership and was elected to membership in the law fraternity, Phi Delta Phi.
He was admitted to the practice of law at Omaha, June 22, 1891 and continued in general practice until 1904 when he was elected judge of the 4th Judicial District of Nebraska. He held this position until 1913. He served as a member of the board of control of state institutions, 1913-17, acting as chairman of this board for two years; was a member of the Omaha board of public welfare, 1918-21; was chairman of the Nebraska Children's Code Commission, 1919-21; and in 1930 was defeated for clerk of the district court.
He resumed the practice of law December 1, 1930. He was vice-president of the Peters Trust Company from 1917-30. He is director of the A. Hospe Company, and is a trustee of the Forest Lawn Cemetery Association. During his service on the board of control he drafted and aided in the passage of laws providing for the commitment of feeble-minded persons to an institution, admission previously having been voluntary; a law requiring the payment of actual maintenance costs by persons who are able to pay their expenses in the state hospitals for the insane; and other laws affecting public welfare. These laws have proved a distinct benefit to the state.
Judge Kennedy was president of the Nebraska Conference for Social Work, 1914; is a member of the executive committee and is counsel for the Nebraska Humane Society; is vice-president of the Society for the Friendless; is a member of the executive committee of the Nebraska Civil Service Association; is on the executive committee of the Omaha Council of Social Agencies; was formerly a member of the board of governors of the Omaha Community Chest; and was formerly president of the Nebraska Child Labor Committee. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Nebraska State Bar Association, and the Omaha Bar Association.
He holds membership in the Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the Ad-Sell League. He is on the executive committee of the American League of Good Will; is a member of the Nebraskana Society and the State Historical Society; was president of the Central High School Parent-Teachers' Association, 1926; was one of the incorporators of the University of Omaha, and was trustee of that organization for 21 years, having served as the first president of the board of trustees; and is president of the Omaha Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa alumni.
He is a member of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences and the National Geographic Society. He is an elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Omaha, and is a member of the advisory board of the Young Men's Christian Association. His social club is the University Club. During the World War he was a three-minute man and served as instructor of home service classes for the Red Cross. He is a Republican.
His marriage to Mary Radcliffe Cunningham was solemnized at Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, March 23, 1897. Mrs. Kennedy, whose ancestry is Scotch-Irish, English, and German, was born in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, October 1, 1874. She is a church organist and is extremely active in music circles. She has always taken an active part in the civic and social affairs of Omaha, and holds membership in the following organiza-
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tions: Tuesday Musicale; Friends of Music Club; Fortnightly Club; Nebraska Music Teachers' Association; P. E. O.; and Sigma Alpha Iota.
Four children were born to their marriage; Elizabeth, born September 29, 1902, who married Christian F. Dondore; Howard, III, born August 4, 1907, who is a law student; Anne, born April 8, 1910, who died February 25, 1916; and William Cunningham, born July 20, 1918. Elizabeth was graduated from the University of Nebraska with the B. F. A. degree in 1922, and took post graduate work at the New England Conservatory of Music in 1923. She is a church organist. Residence: Omaha.
James A. C. Kennedy
A native of Omaha, James A. C. Kennedy was born October 31, 1875, son of Thomas and Anna M. (Kennedy) Kennedy. Thomas Kennedy was a native of County Tipperary, born in 1843. He came to America when a young man, and served in the Civil War with Company K, 181st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was superintendent of the Willow Springs Distilling Company for many years, and died at Omaha, September 2, 1881. Anna M. Kennedy was born in County Tipperary, November 10, 1843. Left a widow with four small children, she reared and educated them all. She died at Omaha, August 15, 1917.
After being graduated from the Omaha public schools, James Kennedy attended Creighton College until fifteen years of age, when he entered the First National Bank of Omaha as a clerk. He later attended the University of Nebraska, and received his LL. B. in 1900. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta and Phi Delta Phi.
From 1900-01 he was a clerk with Montgomery & Hall, and from 1901-06 with T, J. Mahoney. In 1906 he entered the firm of Mahoney and Kennedy, continuing until 1917. Since the last mentioned date he has been a member of the law firm of Kennedy, Holland and DeLacey.
During his professional career he has been a member of the Nebraska House of Representatives, deputy county attorney of Douglas County, and from 1908 to 1916, Referee in Bankruptcy.
His marriage to Caroline Purvis was solemnized at Omaha June 1, 1905. Mrs. Kennedy was born at Omaha, June 1, 1886, and is of Scotch descent. There are three children, all of whom are attending college: Ann Marie, born January 29, 1910; Jean. born March 29, 1911, and James A. C., born September 27, 1913.
Mr. Kennedy served as first lieutenant, with Company G, 2nd Nebraska Volunteer Infantry in the Spanish-American War, and was judge advocate and ordinance officer of his regiment. During the World War he was on the appeal board at Omaha, and member of various draft boards in Douglas County. A Catholic, he is a member of St. Cecilia's Cathedral. He is a member of the American, Nebraska State and Omaha-Douglas County Bar Associations. His clubs are the Omaha Club and the Omaha Country Club, his sport is golf and his recreation is reading. Residence: Omaha.
James Madigan Kennedy
James Madigan Kennedy, dentist, was born at Caledonia, Haldimand, Ontario, Canada, son of Donald and Ellen (Madigan) Kennedy. His father is of Scotch, and his mother of Irish ancestry.
James Madigan Kennedy attended the public and high schools at Caledonia, and was graduated from Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois, with the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. He has since been in active practice. He is a member of the American Dental Association.
On July 3, 1907, he was married to Adelaide Mary Forde at Chicago, her birthplace. There are five children, Mary A.; Jean V.; James F.; Ellen K.; and Virginia C.
Dr. Kennedy is a Democrat. He is a member of Delta Sigma Delta fraternity, the Chamber of Commerce, and civic and fraternal organizations. Residence: Alliance.
John Lauderdale Kennedy
John L. Kennedy, one of Nebraska's foremost lawyers, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, on October 27, 1854. At the age of 19 years he came to America, settling in LaSalle County, Illinois, where he farmed for four years. He is the son of John and Mary Barbour Kennedy, both natives of Scotland, who remained in the country of their birth. John L. Kennedy attended Uplawmoor public school, in Renfrewshire, Scotland, and after four years in America entered Knox College, but did not graduate. He has since received the honorary degrees of A. B., A. M., and LL. D. from that college; and LL. B. from the State University of Iowa.
On November 29, 1905, he was united in marriage to Marguerite Pritchett, daughter of George Edward and Harriet Georgia (Hanscom) Pritchett, at Omaha. (See Nebraskana). They have three children, John Hanscom, born October 12, 1906, and Edward Lauderdale, born May 3, 1908, both of whom attended the Hill School, at Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and Stanford University. Katharine Virginia, born December 2, 1914, attends The Bishop's School at LaJolla, California.
John L. Kennedy was admitted to the bar in 1882, and began active practice at Omaha. From 1888-1907 he was a member of the firm of Kennedy & Learned; and is now a member of the firm of Kennedy, Loomis & Offutt. In addition to his legal practice he has been prominent in Republican politics for many years. In 1905 he was elected to the 59th congress from the second district of Nebraska; from 1907-08 he was fire and police commissioner of Omaha. He served as chairman of the Republican state committee during 1911-12, and campaigned the state for woman suffrage in 1914. He was Republican candidate for United States Senator from Nebraska in 1916, and federal fuel administrator for Nebraska from October 17, 1917 to March 27, 1919.
He was president of the United States National Bank of Omaha from 1920-25, and president of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce from June, 1924 to June, 1925. He is counsel and a member of the board of directors of J. L. Brandeis and Sons and The Brandeis Investment Company. Mr. Kennedy is a Presbyterian. He is a member of the Omaha Athletic Club. Residence: Omaha.
Marguerite Pritchett Kennedy
Marguerite Pritchett, now Mrs. John L. Kennedy, is a native Nebraskan, born at Omaha, May 19, 1883. Her father, George Edward Pritchett, was born at Utica, New York, May 18, 1841. After serving as a lieutenant with the 126th New York Infantry he came to Nebraska, where he served as a member of the state legislature in 1877. He was city attorney of Omaha, and United States district attorney for Nebraska, appointed by President Cleveland. His father was the Reverend Edward C. Pritchett, born in India, on October 19, 1812. He came to America in 1833, and was graduated from Amherst College. He was ordained in 1848 and served as a chaplain in the Civil War.
George Edward Pritehett married Harriet Georgia Hanscom, who was born at Council Bluffs, Iowa, January 11, 1854. She was the daughter of Andrew J. and Catherine Ann (Young) Hanscom, who were married in Detroit, in 1848. Andrew J. Hanscom was born in Pontiac, Michigan, February 3, 1828, and served as first lieutenant of Company C., First Michigan Infantry, in the Mexican War. He came to Omaha in 1854, and was speaker of the first house of representatives of the Territory of Nebraska in 1855. In 1854 he was appointed colonel of the First Nebraska Regiment by Governor
