Western Pennsylvania Genealogy
Compiled by Douglas H. Lusher


Family Group Record



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Alexander Hugh McKelvey and M. Olive James




Husband Alexander Hugh McKelvey 1 2




           Born: 4 Nov 1840 - Greenville, Mercer Co, PA 1 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 


         Father: George McKelvey (1803-1878) 1 3
         Mother: Mary Kernochan (1811-1876) 2


       Marriage: 1871 4



Wife M. Olive James 4

           Born:  - Maine
     Christened: 
           Died: 4 Jan 1905 4
         Buried: 


         Father: David M. James (      -      ) 4
         Mother: Sophronia [Unk] (      -      ) 4




Children
1 M Hugh K. McKelvey 4

           Born: 27 Aug 1876 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: Lena Magee (      -      ) 4
           Marr: 21 Jul 1909 4


2 F Kate Winifred McKelvey 4

           Born: 7 Sep 1881 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 7 Jul 1884 4
         Buried: 
         Spouse: Did Not Marry


3 M Junius A. McKelvey 4

           Born: 24 Sep 1888 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 




General Notes: Husband - Alexander Hugh McKelvey


He was educated in the public schools of Warren County, Pennsylvania, and grew to manhood on the home farm. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in the Union army, serving in Company K, Forty-ninth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, forming a part of the Sixth Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, and saw hard service with that hard-fought army. He was wounded near Culpeper Court House in September, 1863, and there taken prisoner by Confederate pickets. He was kept in Libby prison for a short time, then exchanged and taken to the Naval Academy Hospital at Annapolis, Maryland, from there transferred to Annapolis Junction Hospital and later to Fort McHenry, Baltimore, finally in September, 1864, was mustered out with an honorable discharge, after three years spent in the service. After returning to Warren County he spent a short time in recuperating, then entered Syracuse Business College, whence he was graduated in 1866. He entered business life as clerk and bookkeeper in a Warren dry goods store, continuing until 1867. He was next employed as bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Warren, remaining until January 14, 1870, when he was placed in charge of the books of Brown, Struthers & Company. This firm with which he was destined to have long and important association was founded in 1851 by W. F. Kingsbury as a foundry, later Henry W. Brown was admitted a partner and a frame foundry and machine shop was built in 1855. This building is remembered as having a steam whistle, the first factory plant in Warren to use a steam whistle to summon the workmen.
In 1860 Mr. Kingsbury retired, John and Thomas, brothers of Henry W. Brown, becoming interested with him and operating as Brown Brothers. In 1868 Thomas Struthers acquired an interest in the firm, which then and until 1871 was known as Brown, Struthers & Company. About 1871 Mr. McKelvey became a stockholder and the business was incorporated as the Brown Struthers Iron Works, Mr. McKelvey being elected secretary and treasurer, continuing until 1875, when the company became the Struthers Iron Works, the owner being Thomas Struthers, James C. Wells and Alexander H. McKelvey. Mr. McKelvey sold his interest in August, 1895, having served as treasurer of the company twenty-five years.
In 1895, after retiring from the iron works, he became interested in life insurance and was manager for one of the leading companies, his territory being the thirty-seventh judicial district of Pennsylvania. When oil was discovered he became interested and was a producer, holding at times very large interests in various fields and was interested in production in Elk and Forest counties, Pennsylvania, as a partner in the South Penn Oil Company, also having oil interests in Warren county. He retained a lively interest in his old army comrades, and was a member of Lieutenant E. N. Ford Post, Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he was a Republican, but never consented to hold public office. In religious faith he was a Presbyterian, having been an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Warren, Pennsylvania, beginning in 1868, ruling elder beginning in 1872, for many years was clerk of the session and treasurer of the sessional funds, served on the board of trustees, and ever since joining the church was a teacher in the Sunday school.


General Notes: Wife - M. Olive James


She was an untiring worker for church and charity, of great public spirit and always interested in those movements tending toward the public good. She was deeply interested in the cause of public education and in 1894 she led in the movement which resulted in women being selected as members of the board of education. She was president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Young Men's Christian Association, and assisted in raising a goodly sum with which to furnish the association building. She organized the idea of the women in War-ren celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the town by publishing a "Woman's Centennial Paper." She carried this plan through most successfully as general manager, the issue being the largest ever published in Warren, five thousand copies of a sixteen-page paper. Financially the result was equally striking. She was an active worker in the Presbyterian church, accomplishing great good in her favorite field of work.

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Sources


1 —, Book of Biographies, 37th Judicial District, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899), Pg 117.

2 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 378.

3 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 377, 1080.

4 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 379.


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