Occupations of Dana’s Ancestors

Occupations of Dana’s Ancestors

Womens’ occupations were usually listed as “None,” “at home” or “Keeping House” on census records. I include them only if another occupation is known for them other than homemaking —Homemaking usually included child-rearing, housework, food production & preservation, etc.—still important occupations!

For the men and some of the women, I will list their primary occupation(s) first and then other jobs they may have had.

PARENTS

Dean Darrell Kelley (working from 1945-1986) 

  • Pharmaceutical Representative. (A.H. Robins District Manager & Ciba)
  • Merchandising/Marketing Manager (Swinson Food Products & Gregg Foods.)
Marketing Gold-n-Soft Margerine

 

 

 

 

 

  • Order filler for Safeway Creamery/Cheese Department.
  • Assembly line worker for Delco Battery.
  • Skip Tracer for Pacific Finance Co.
  • Worked for Square D, an electric component manufacturing company.
  • “Oiler” for the Department of Navy.
  • Worked for Royal Heaters, Inc.
  • Sergeant Dean Kelley

    Army (promoted to Sergeant Major) in the Korean War.

  • Worked for the Hoover Company.
  • Worked for Avery Adhesive Label, Arrowhead Rubber Co., Electroweld Steel Corp.
  • Worked for Swift & Company packing house & lard refinery.
  • Worked for the Commodore Hotel.
  • Worked for ALCOA.
  • Worked for Zellerbach Paper Co., Drapery Hardware Co., United States Marine Commission.
  • Worked for Universal Mfg. Co. rebuilding Ford Engines, Drove a Pepsi-Cola Truck.
  • Merchant Marines “Utility”- Cook.

    In the Merchant Marines.

Doretta Rose Clifford Kelley (working from 1952-1980’s)

  • Secretary (Education Dept. St. Joseph’s Hospital, Pacific Wood Treating Co., Monsanto and Mobay Chemical Cos., Merle J. Grindle (Private Investigator of missing heirs).
  • Stenographer.
City Directories

 

GRANDPARENTS

William Walter Kelley (working from 1907-1950’s)

  • Oil Station attendant/ Auto Mechanic. 

    Oil Station Attendant at Hermecke’s Station
  • Helped manage boarding (rooming), apartment houses, motel, & cafe.
  • Drayman/Truck Driver.
Drayman: the driver of a dray, a low, flat-bed wagon without sides, pulled generally by horses or mules that were used for transport of all kinds of goods

 

 

 

  • Worked for Drapery Hardware Co.
  • Hired Farm Hand.
  • Singer and Salesman in Dr. Linden’s Medicine Show.

Marie Reimers Kelley  (working from 1910-1945) 

  • Managed boarding (rooming), apartment houses, motel, & cafe.
Motel Staff in Carroll, Iowa
Boarding House in Omaha, Nebraska

 

 

 

 

 

  • Cook & Head Cook in restaurants & cafes.
  • Waitress.

Walter Lemon Clifford (working from 1911-1965+)

  • Woodworker/Cabinet Maker. Hallack & Howard Planing Mill, Angelus Furniture & Self-employed. (Learned his trade at Uhrich Revolving Door Factory.)

  • Foreman, Morris Furniture Manufacturing.
  • Manufacture of radio cabinets for California Coast & Hoffmann & Sears.
  • Restaurant owner.
  • Woodworker/woodshop manager for Alexander Aircraft Company.
Alexander Eagle Rock & Bullet Airplanes

 

 

 

 

  • Machinist.
  • Co-owner,” Pig Stand” Restaurant.
  • Worked for Empire Gas Co.
  • Street Car Conductor.
  • Work building sugar beet refinery & in the sugar beet fields.
  • Worked for Petroleum Products.

Alice Christina Cornett Clifford (working from 1922-1975)

  • Precinct Officer, Inspector. Enchantment Precinct. (Volunteer)
  • Worked at Mrs. Russell’s Candy Factory.
  • Cooked at “Pig Stand” Restaurant.
  • Telephone Operator, SW Bell Tel. Co.

  • Mother’s Helper for Rose McKnight.

GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

Andrew Alfred Kelley (working from 1870-1910+) 

  • Eilert Auen hires his son-in-law to build his house. 17 Apr 1896, Carroll, Iowa

    Carpenter.

  • Teacher.
  • Laborer (Lamb’s Mill & lumberyards?).
  • Poet.
Excerpt from T.A.T., Poem by Andrew Alfred Kelley

Claus Johann Reimers (working from bef. 1883-1930)

  • Bar Keeper, Lodging House & Lunch Room Proprietor.
  • Farmer.
  • Miller.
  • Carpenter.

 

 

Marie Brocksen Reimers (only listed occupation in 1910)

  • Manager, Lodging House.

Charles Lemon Clifford (working from 1880-1930)

  • The Chanute Daily Tribune – 17 Aug 1907

    Farmer.

  • Laborer in Casting, Cement Factory.

    1910 Independence, Kansas

 

 

  • Travelling Suit Salesman.

Sarah Jane Verbryck Clifford (work listed in 1910 & 1920)

  • Housekeeper or Servant for private families.

John M. Cornett (working from bef. 1900- 1940)

  • Farmer/Farm Laborer (Tenant).
  • Laborer, linseed oil mill, oil supply company.
  • Helper.

2nd GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

Michael Britt Kelley (working from bef. 1847-1885)

  • Teacher/(Visiting) Tutor

Eilert Janssen Auen (working from bef. 1860-1900)

  • Farmer

  • Landlord
  • Sailor

Hans Hinrich Reimers

  • Dienstknecht – Servant (Farm laborer) (1857)
  • Arbeitsmannes – Workman (1858)

Peter Thomas Brocksen

  • Landmann- Farmer 
  • Dienstknecht – Servant (Farm laborer) (1859)
  • Arbeiter – Worker (1890)

William Clifford (working bef. 1832-1877)

  • Farmer—(Inherited 50 acres from his father, later sold & moved to Indiana then to Kansas.)
  • Captain in Pennsylvania militia

Mary Ann Irwin Clifford

  • Farmer Laborer (1880)

Richard S. Verbryck (working bef. 1860-1880+)

  • Farmer
The Weekly Star and Kansan – 27 Jul 1883
The Weekly Star and Kansan – 29 May 1885
  • Private in Indiana Infantry (1863 -12 days) Civil War

Hezekiah Russell Cornett (working bef. 1860-1891)

  • Farmer
  • Private in Virginia Infantry (1863-25 days, deserted)
The Eureka Herald and Greenwood County Republican – 29 Mar 1906–sold 7 years after his death.

Elvira Matilda Stamper Cornett

  • Housekeeper (1905)

James Woodrum

  • Farmer (1870)
James Woodrum purchased 160 acres less than 2 months prior to his death.

 

3rd GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

Andrew Kelly

  • Probably a farmer—He leased and sublet land. (1829 & 1853)
  • Victualler-usually the keeper of a restaurant or tavern (If Death Certificate is our Andrew Kelly). (1866)

Jan Hinderks Auen

  • Day Laborer/ Worker

 

Meine Gerds DeBuhr

  • Schiffzimmermann, Shipwright or Ships Carpenter. (1840 & 1860)

Claus Hansen Reimers

  • Arbeitsmann (Workman) (1832)

Johann Jacob Arps

  • Gesell (Journeyman) (1805)

Johann Peter Brockes

  • Farmer

Eggert Sammann

  • Workman

 

Thomas Clifford

  • Farmer—He had a cabin, still house & stable in 1798.
  • He bequeathed about 100 acres of his farm in his will divided variously to his children, 1842

Robert Irwin

  • Shoemaker (occupation listed on his death certificate, 1858).

William Verbryck

  • Farmer

James Hildebrand

  • Farmer, son of a Mennonite, received a land grant in Shelby County, Indiana from President Andrew Jackson, 1834.

Alfred Alexander Cornutt

  • Farmer (1850-1900)
  • Private in the Virginia infantry, Civil War 1863

Ephriam William Stamper

  • Farmer /Farm Laborer (1850-1870)

Archibald Woodrum

  • Farmer (1850)

Sarah Johnston Woodrum

  • Domestic (1860)

John Baugher

  • Farmer (1850-1860) Purchased public lands, in Illinois 1838 & 1839), signed by President Martin VanBuren.