J.N. Kelly, 1918 (Source: Woodling)

J. Nelson Kelly was the manager of the Floyd Bennett Field at the time he signed his name in the Register. He is signed in the Register on page one flying a Sikorsky S-39B, NC51V, S/N 913. He landed on March 4, 1933 at 11:00AM, inbound from Miami, FL to Floyd Bennett. He was solo and gave no indication of the purpose of his flight.

This1928 REFERENCE, page 62, states that Kelly was born January 5, 1896 in Ironton, MO. He was a cadet in the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, during September, 1917. He was trained as a pilot and commissioned at Kelly Field during December, 1917. His first solo was during the same month. His draft card for WWI, dated 1917, is below. He was described as tall and slender, with blue eyes and blonde hair. Photograph, right, from 1918, shows Kelly at Kelly Field, TX.

J.N. Kelly, WWI Draft Card, Ca. 1917 (Source: ancestry.com)

At the time he registered, he was working for Rittenhouse & Embree Company in Chicago. They operated a lumber yard and mill shop, which, about this time, manufactured window sash, frames and interior trim for the home construction industry. As with many things, the details are in the fine print. If you look carefully at the diagonal printing at the lower left of this card, the text says, "If person is of African descent, tear off this corner." Some things change; some things remain the same.

He left the military as a captain in the air reserve and entered commercial flying as an airmail pilot for Florida Airways Corporation. In March, 1919, he applied for a passport for the expressed reason of visiting Coahuila state in Mexico for "commercial" purposes as a "salesman." He was employed by El Encino Solo Ranch near Muzquiz in Coahuila. It is not clear if he traveled to Mexico, because the 1920 U.S. Census placed him at age 24 living in a rooming house in San Antonio, TX. His occupation was cited as "Pilot" in "Aviation."

He flew mail for Florida Airways until 1926. As of the publication date of the REFERENCE cited above, Kelly flew as corporate pilot for the Marmon Motor Car Company, Indianapolis, IN (company formed in 1902 and merged and renamed in 1933). At right is a model-year 1933 Marmon four-door sedan with V-16 engine, the same year Kelly signed the Register.

1933 Marmon V-16 (Source: Web)

J. Nelson Kelly, Date Unknown (Source: Woodling)

Move ahead five years, at the time of his landing at Floyd Bennett Field, Kelly had left Marmon and was the manager of the Field. The Time magazine article, quoted on Francesco de Pinedo’s page, states, "Major J. Nelson Kelly, manager of the field, who with his wife and pilot George Haldeman followed the plane in an automobile…" Please visit de Pinedo's link to understand the context of their following de Pinedo's airplane.

Photograph, left, was undated, but was probably late 1930s-1940s vintage. The 1930 Census listed him living at 111 Seventh St., Garden City, LI, NY. This property today is a large, U-shaped apartment building named "Hampshire House." It appears on Google Earth to be of 1930s vintage. At age 34, he lived with his wife, Lura Lee (nee: Dunn, 27; 1900-1988). The Census implied they were newly-weds, having been married a year or so earlier (I believe they were married in Florida, because the Florida Marriage Index for 1929 lists Kelly, but not Lura). They rented their apartment for $125 per month. His occupation was coded as "Pilot/Director" in the "Aeronautics" industry. Lura was not employed outside their home. 1930 was a busy year for Kelly, because the city directory for West Palm Beach, FL listed him and Lura living in that city and identified his occupation as director of the Roosevelt Flying Corporation. Thus we can pinpoint his move to New York as sometime during 1930.

His move wasn't before February, however, because the immigration form below documents a flight that he made from West End, Grand Bahama to West Palm Beach in the Sikorsky S-38B NC158H (S/N 114-18). He had a full airplane load.

Immigration Form, February 26, 1930 (Source: ancestry.com)

And his move wasn't before March, because the immigration form below documents a flight that he made while employed by Roosevelt. He brought a passenger plane of travelers again from West End, Grand Bahama to West Palm Beach. The airplane, Sikorsky S-38B NC158H (S/N 114-18), was the same. Note that Lura was with him this time.

Immigration Form, March 27, 1930 (Source: ancestry.com)

In another example of international travel, Kelly arrived in Key West, FL from Kingston, Jamaica aboard the American yacht "Flight" on April 14, 1936, below. Aboard were three other passengers, all younger than Kelly.

Immigration Form, April 14, 1936 (Source: ancestry.com)

The interesting thing about this trip is Stafford L. "Casey" Lambert, Register pilot and, by all accounts, playboy bachelor and millionaire. Please direct your browser to Lambert's link to find out more about him and his life. I have no information about this voyage. We can imagine, though, that Lambert contracted with Roosevelt Flying Corporation to fly him to Jamaica so that he might pick up his yacht and then asked Kelly to sail back with him while his co-pilot ferried their airplane back to Florida.

The 1940 Census placed him and Lura living at 79 Country Lane, Glenview, IL. At this time they had a son named J.N. Kelly, Jr. (1931-1989), and two daughters Lura (9) and Patricia (7). I don't know if J.N. Jr. and the young Lura were fraternal twins. Kelly was coded as an "Engineer" working for a "Vending Machine Manufacturer." He earned $5,000+ per year. He and Lura owned their home, which was valued at $15,000. In 1940, both his salary and home value placed the family in the upper percentiles of affluence. According to the Census form, Kelly had completed two years of college.

Kelly, Center, June 20, 1942 (Source: Woodling)

The "vending machine manufacturer" was the Mills Novelty Company based in Chicago, IL, right. During World War II, Mills received authorized federal funding to use its industrial facilities to produce bomb carriers, directional antennae and poppet valves. More important for military personnel, the company also produced Coke vending machines and pin ball machines.

I have no information regarding his military activities during WWII, but he achieved the rank of lt. colonel. He served in WWI, WWII and Korea. If you can help fill in the blanks of his WWII activities, please let me KNOW.

The 1947 and 1950 city directories for Darien, CT placed him and Lura living in that city on Ponus Ridge Road. His occupation was "v pres," but the directory did not identify the company.

I found one record that documented, on April 24, 1963, that Kelly married Nana E. Jacobsen in Nevada. I do not know the circumstances of his divorce from Lura or remarriage to Nana.

J.N. Kelly Grave Marker, July 30, 1977 (Source: findagrave.com)

Kelly flew West on July 30, 1977. He is buried at Riverside, CA. He flew with Transport pilot certificate T235. He also held other certificates (Air Mail license 116; F.A.I. 1383). I do not know what "42" refers to as he wrote it in the Register. His grave marker at Riverside is at right.

Lura Lee (Dunn) Kelly, Grave Marker, July 30, 1977 (Source: findagrave)

Lura's grave marker is at left. She is buried in Columbia, CA. Interestingly, Kelly was her second husband. Her first, Eugene Hoy Barksdale, was killed in 1926. Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana was named after him. Please visit the link.

---o0o---

THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 01/03/17 REVISED: