CLAUDE KELLEY PARK - THE MAN, THE MEMORY

CLAUDE D. KELLEY

January 28, 1911 - July 7, 1987

 

Who was Claude D.Kelley? Folks around Lula know. We were the lucky ones that got to know and love Mr. Kelley.

He was seen around Lula, always happy and serene. Mr Kelley was born in Texas. He was the son of John and Dora Hitchcock Kelley. He had two sisters, Maude Kelley and Kate Kelley. He was stricken with polio as a young child and was very limited by the effects of polio. Mr Kelley never let it make him an "invalid". In his younger years he worked as a mail hanger. He was responsible for getting the big bag of mail that was hung as the train rolled by. He carried it to the Post Office in a Wagon. He would then get all the out going mail and hang it for the train to pick up. He owned a golf cart and was seen riding or sitting all over Lula. He enjoyed life. His favorite sitting place was beside the railroad in Lula. Under the shade of the huge oak tree Mr Kelley watched the town he loved. He was our "Welcome Committee". If you met him and did not smile and enjoy the visit, well, it is because you were too busy to pay attention.

The Claude Kelley Park is located under and around the big oak he loved. You get a birds-eye view of the trains rumbling by. And the people hurrying by on Main Street. The Claude Kelley Park, a legacy to Lula and the Man that inspired many.

 

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This page was last updated Sunday, 11-Sep-2011 13:59:45 EDT