Louise Minert Kelly
Louse Minert was born in Waukon IA, on June 14, 1876, the date a late discovery on my part. She married on June 6, 1906 after teaching for several years in Waukon, Austin MN and Two Harbors MN; the marriage ending her teaching under the rules of that time. She lived with her husband, Edward P. Kelly, in Carrington, ND, till 1920 and then in Minneapolis, MN until his death in 1939 and then in Ames, IA, with her sisters until her death, Feb. 5, 1948. Any birth records for her are buried under bureaucracy in Des Moines where only children can call for them -- she had no children. Louise Minert Kelly, age 71, died 5 Feb. 1948 at Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames, Story County, Iowa. They used Adams Funeral Home which is still in business in Ames, incidentally.
Louise (shown as Louisa on some Census sheets) had three sisters, Emily E., who died as a child, Maud, and Ella Mae, and two brothers, James G. and William, who was my grandfather, . Her parents were John Balch and Margaret J Minert and their genealogy information is included in privately published book. All are buried in Waukon IA. Her husband, Edward P. Kelly, was an increasing prominent attorney who gave a nominating speech in 1920 for Calvin Coolidge as Vice President and allowed Louise to live as a socially active lady and artist. She apparently met him in 1900 when he was the Census enumerator on her page for Austin MN.
Louise graduated from high school in 1895 at Waukon IA, which is in northeast Iowa, took some basic teacher training typical of the time and went to work teaching in Waukon. After 2 years there, she took some art training in Chicago and then taught for 5 years in Austin MN, not far north of the Iowa border, where she met her future husband. She then taught for 2 years in Two Harbors MN, way north on Lake Superior, getting married in Duluth MN shortly after the school year ended and moving to Carrington ND in the eastern part of that state. Although she and her husband traveled freely in the area, to Minneapolis MN, and back to her family's home, she lived in Carrington until 1920. During this period she and Edward were mentioned frequently in the newspaper social notices, probably partly provided by her. Also, both of her sisters married and Maud's husband, Otto Sharf, died soon after a child was born, so Maud came to live and teach in Carrington for a while. Ella Mae married Earl Duffin, at 19, (Oct. 5, 1898) and separated from him after the 1910 census and he died 1916 (private note) (widow in 1930) Louise lived in Minneapolis in the Leamington Hotel from 1920 to after her husband's death in 1939. The three women lived together in Ames IA as widows during World War II and after. Ella Mae died within a year of Louise and Maud moved to Pennsylvania where she died over a decade later.
Although Louise took some minimal painting training, apparently taught art, and produced a few paintings she gave as gifts before moving to Minneapolis, her activity increased considerably in the 1920's culminating in classes in Pennsylvania and sessions on the New England coast and finally a trip to France and Tunisia in 1927. A painting done on the trip was shown a painting in the Salon in Paris and returned to Minneapolis and had a show of the paintings she did there. She continued to work and interact with artists and appears in newspaper society ads "artist Louise Kelly gets her news from ..." Content of paintings and memberships show that she traveled to the Cape Cod, Nantucket area and to the southern California & Mexico area to paint. Other paintings probably from the 30's show scenes along the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior not far from where she taught earlier. There are also large paintings showing scenes near Carrington ND. She also did still-lifes of birds. According to some information she was an instructor in art at Iowa State (College at that time) which holds a couple of her paintings. 2011-01-30
