Arthur and Nancy Kelly
Arthur C.M. & Nancy V. Kelly.
The 1999 color photo shows us at one of our favorite activities, square and round
dancing. We are members of the Square Dance Camping Association and we dance with
the Leprechaun Club in Brooksville, FL as well as dancing in New York . We are very
fond of round dancing and are now level 4 dancers which means we can enjoy many of the
different rhythms available. The activity is great exercise and we meet so many nice
friends!
Here is a bit about each of us:
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ARTHUR has been transcribing and indexing New York State source records since
1968. A graduate of Cornell University, he studied Biology and Chemistry and brings the
scientist's zeal for accuracy and detail to his work in genealogy. For 30 years, he taught
high school science in Germantown, NY, the area originally known as the East Camp of the
1709 Palatine settlement of German immigrants. His interest in genealogy led him to
examine the early church records of that area. Family history researchers know that New
York, unlike the New England states, has few published civil vital records. Therefore,
genealogists have come to rely heavily on church records of baptisms, marriages and deaths
to assemble family information. Realizing this, Mr. Kelly decided to begin a project of
organizing and publishing records to make them available for research.
Mr. Kelly gained the confidence of local ministers so that he was allowed to work with the
original records, and with his knowledge of old German Script, began the project of
transcribing the records, publishing them and indexing them, according to item number.
Transcripts were made from original church records so future researchers could compare
them with the Vosburg transcripts which the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
had prepared some fifth years earlier. He has published over 130 volumes of church,
cemetery, newspaper and other records through KINSHIP.
NANCY has always had an interest in history and genealogy. She was a charter
member of the Rhinebeck Historical Society and the Dutchess County Genealogical Society
and is currently the Rhinebeck Town Historian. Articles she has written include:
"Researching Palatines in NY State", The Palatine Immigrant, Vol. X, p.3-21.
"Rhinebeck Transition at the End of the Eighteenth Century", Hudson Valley
Review and Contributions to The Capital and The Columbia, quarterly publications of
Kinship.
Nancy has given talks at many conferences:
New York State Genealogical Conference, 1983
Eastern Ontario Genealogical Society
Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society
Central New York Genealogical Society
Michigan Palatines to America Society
National Palatines to America Society
Many Florida Genealogical Societies
Local Historical and Genealogical Societies and D.A.R. Chapters
She is a graduate of Cornell University and majored in education but currently is devoting
all of her efforts to Kinship. She manages the various publishing projects and enjoys the
aspects of research and computing necessary to complete each publication.
The Kelly's have four children; Kathleen Rozolis of Langhorne PA, Clyde A. Kelly of
Davis, CA, Clare Kelly of Gaithersburg, MD, and Susan Fitzgerald of Rhinebeck, NY.
(wedding photo
by Cynthia Del Conte)
SUSAN
KELLY FITZGERALD
Our daughter, Susan joined the Kinship organization in 1995. In Spring
2001, she opened Kinship Books and assumed responsibilities for bookkeeping,
website information, customer sales & preparation of
information for publication and advertising.
Susan married Christopher Fitzgerald, June 21, 2003. They live at
Sepascot Home Farm where the Kinship Books business is conducted. There are a variety
of animals at the farm, including 4 llamas, 17 goats, a horse, 2 Australian
Shepherds & chickens.
