Kelly Kaleidoscipe

Neal Bridges, the twelfth child of T.W. and Mary Kelly, was born in Hutto, Williamson County, TX and moved to Hamilton County, TX in 1905 with his parents. They settled in Hoover Knobs in the western part of the county.  Neal attended school at Lamkin for two years, Hamilton for three years and complete school at Union.  Union was located about five miles southwest of Hamilton and is now one of the many defunct schools in the area.  After his father died in 1923, Neal moved with his mother to a farm in Huckaby, Erath County where he met the future Mrs. Kelly.  On September 30, 1925 he married Cloyse Cammie Hicks of Huckaby.  While living in Huckaby Bruce and Nena were born.  The family moved back to Hamilton in 1929.  There Cecil, Addie, Mary Lois, Myrtle, R.B. and twins, Harrol and Carrol were born.  All were active members of First Baptist Church, Hamilton.  At times the family attend Blue Ridge Baptist Church.  First Baptist, Hamilton ordained Neal a deacon.

Until 1943 Neal farmed or hired out as a farm laborer.  He became known as a "hard worker" and a devoted father.  Neal was a fiddler having learned the violin from the Hamilton Conservatory.  Most of his children were musicians.  Some won prizes and college scholarships as musicians.  Neal played with various groups that gathered for Saturday night "sing-alongs".  

Neal accepted the station manager's job for Central Freight Lines in 1943 and retired from that position June 1, 1968 following 25 years of service to the Hamilton community.  For eight years Cloyse was bookkeeper and visitors to the warehouse terminal would get the impression she was doing as much of the heavy work as her husband was.  During those 25 years of service Neal missed only 20 days of work.  In an article in the Hamilton Herald New recognizing his retirement it was estimated he lifted at least 100 million pounds of freight during his years as manager.  He hurt his back only one time. (*see article below)

In 1970 Neal was diagnosed with cancer.  In 1974 Neal and Cloyse moved to Kyle, TX.  Neal died February 15, 1975 in Kyle, TX.  He is buried in the IOOF Cemetery, Hamilton.  Cloyse continued to reside in Kyle until her death April 28, 1985.  She died following a heart attack while traveling with her daughter Mary Lois and husband Waye to visit in Benbrook.  She is also buried in the IOOF Cemetery, Hamilton.  

Education became an important element in the Kelly family.  Eight of the Kelly children graduated from Hamilton High School.  Bruce and Cecil graduated from HHS through the military; Nena-1946; Mary Lois-1952; Myrtle Lea-1955; R.B.-1958; Harrol and Carrol-1964.  Nena, Myrtle, Harrol and Carrol completed college and received advanced degrees.  Nena, Myrtle and Carrol graduated from Southwest Texas State College (University) in San Marcos with bachelor degrees.  Nena and Myrtle also graduated from SWT with masters degrees.  Harrol graduated with a bachelor degree from Dallas Baptist College.  Harrol and Carrol each graduated from Southwestern Theological Seminary with masters in religious education.  Bruce and R.B. each made the military his career.  Each retired after 20 plus years of service.  Cecil attended printer school and worked several years as a printer.  Addie attended business college and became a bookkeeper.  Mary Lois married after one year of college and raised the second of three generations of Aggies (to date!).  

HAMILTON HERALD NEWS
NEAL KELLY RETIRES FROM CENTRAL FREIGHT SERVICE, June 1968
   One time Neal Kelly hurt his back.  Just one time.  The way he hurt it was bending over to pick up a ten-pound box of candy.  The box was so light that he was careless in the way he went over and he pulled a catch in his back.  For nearly a week, the sore back made it difficult for Neal to handle his job delivering freight for Central Freight Lines in Hamilton, but he kept right on delivering just the same.  
    Neal retired as Central Freight manager in Hamilton Saturday, June 1, after 25 years of service.  In all this time he lost only five days because of sickness until last fall when an attack of flue knocked him out for three weeks. The flu is what started Neal thinking about retiring.  He says he never has got his strength back.  And strength is something Neal has always had.  Figured on the basis of the lightest year the local freight office has eve had and allowing that Neal handled each box only once, he has lifted at least 100 million pounds of freight in his 25 years as manager of the Central Freight office in Hamilton.  
    One time he hurt his back.  Only once.  This is all the more remarkable because Kelly was already 42 years old when he accepted the job as freight agent.  Prior to that, he was a farmer or farm laborer all his life.  There's no telling how much lifting he did in that capacity, but it's a fair bet that the strength needed for lifting a hundred million pounds was developed in those days.
    Actually, Neal B. Kelly, Sr., was born on a farm--at Hutto in Williamson County, Texas April 10, 1901.  He isn't really a "senior" but the fact that he has a nephew in Hamilton who is also named Neal B. Kelly makes it easier for them to keep their mail straight if they use the junior and senior suffixes on their names, So, they do.
    Neal, Sr., moved to Hamilton County in 1905 with his parents.  They settled at Hoover Knobs in the west part of the county.  Neal attended school at Lamkin for two years, Hamilton three years, and finished at Union.  Union was located about five miles southwest of Hamilton and is now one of the many defunct schools of the area.  After his father died in 1923, Neal moved with his mother to a farm at Huckabay, Erath County.  In 1925, he married Miss Cloyse Hicks of Huckabay.  The five daughters and four sons born to them over the next few years are all grown now and scattered widely through Texas and other states.  
    In 1929 the Kellys moved back to Hamilton.  Neal hired out as a farm laborer.  he became known as a "hard worker" and a devoted father.  The family still likes to get together for "sing-songs," mostly of religious music.  They are active Baptist, all of them, and most are accomplished musicians.  Some of the children have own prizes, even college scholarships as musicians.  Neal himself plays the violin and guitar.  
    He accepted the station manager's job for Central Freight Lines in Hamilton in 1943 and began the long service which terminated with his retirement June 1.  Kelly said he thinks the Company has been out less medical expense on him than on any other employee he knows.  He has never been in a hospital in his life, not even when he had the flu last fall.  
   He doesn't know what was the greatest single weight he ever handled as a freight man, but he remembers with a shudder the transformers the electric company used to ship to Hamilton.  That was in the days before there was any power lifting equipment.  It is only for the last five years that there has been a power tailgate on Kelly's delivery truck.  The hardest thing to handle that he remembers was a package containing 1,800 pounds of plate glass that was shipped to Lawson Implement Company when they were erecting their new building.  "Now, that was tough to handle." he says.
    One of the funniest things Neal remembers was the incident that happened when Fred Fetty was helping him moved a huge heavy crate.  They were using lifting bars.  Neal's slipped, the crate crashed down, and Fred's bar flipped him on top of the crate, like a vaulting pole would.  Neal said it wouldn't have been funny if Fred had been hurt, but he wasn't.
    Most of the time Neal was manager of the local freight office he had no help.  For eight years, though, Mrs. Kelly was bookkeeper, and visitors to the warehouse terminal would get the impression she was doing as much of the heavy work as her husband was.  She always was a worker and she would do almost anything to help Neal.  During Kelly's 25 years with Central, two competitors tried to break into the Hamilton market.  Both lasted a while, then closed their Hamilton terminals.  They found Neal Kelly too well like to compete against.  
    Many a Hamilton shipper has said, "If Central didn't have Neal Kelly, I'd try that other company out," but as long as they have Neal, my business goes to them."  This is not a reflection on the company; it is simply a recognition of the man.  He was always self-effacing and totally devoted to service.  

In retiring, Neal Kelly provided the credit the Company deserves: "Central is a good company," he said. "They sure have treated me well."  And Central might say the same thing about Kelly.  He is a good man and he has served his company well--at least a hundred million pounds and one sore back worth.