First Generation

1. Arthur Robert KELLS was born on 28 Feb 1888 in Pittsfield, MA.  He died on 4 May 1947 in Cranston, RI.  He was buried in Indian Ridge, Lot 31, Book C, Page 539, Pittsfield Cemetary. He lived in Providence before moving to Cranston. His obituary said that he moved to Rhode Island as a child. He was educated in Providence schools. His father was living with him when his father died in 1904.

He and Amy were married by Edward L. Ninde, Pastor of Mathewson Street Methodist Episcopal Church, 154 Narragansett Avenue, Providence. His brothers, Harold and Paul, lived in Toledo, Ohio. He had a favorite cousin, William, according to my mother.

When Dolores was born, they were living at 136 Garden Street, Auburn, R.I. They celebrated her third birthday at 481 Pontiac Avenue, also in or near the Auburn part of Cranston, R.I. In the 1920 Census, the family was living together in Cranston along with Amy's mother, Maria. He bought a home at 71 Hawthorne Avenue in the Eden Park section of Cranston.

He was a printer/proofreader by profession and worked for one of the Providence papers until the paper folded during the Great Depression(1932?).

He played the cornet. His father also played the cornet and was a bandmaster. He told me he used to play on the excursion boats that sailed between Providence and Sakonnet Point.

In the 1930 Census, the family is listed at 71 Hawthorne Avenue, Cranston. Arthur was a compositor with a newspaper. Dolores was a typist.

He was a member of Phillips Memorial Baptist Church in Cranston. During World War II, he worked as a janitor for the Phillips Memorial Church and also as a school bus driver for the Cranston School Department. Amy used to deliver telegrams during World War II (they had a phone, and many people then didn't).

He was a compositor with the Providence Journal at the time of death in 1947. His father was in the same profession.

I (Brad Leonard) used to call him "Daddy Art." I like him very much. He used to tell me stories and go for walks with me. A favorite walk was around Blackamore Pond in Cranston. He was very handy with tools and taught me about woodworking.