George Davidson Kelsey was born in Greene, New York March 12, 1885. His mother died shortly after his birth and his father later remarried. George had one sister ten years older than he.
After completing his schooling, he worked at a variety of jobs, including traveling for a seed company in the southern and Midwestern states. In 1909 he heard of the chance for field work in North Dakota at Harvey. His work here paid him the large sum of $2.50 per day. Subsequently, in 1910 he became employed by the Northern Seed Company in Valley City and he remained with this company until 1918 at which time he was employed by the Russell Miller Milling Company.
In 1926 he started the Valley City Credit Bureau which he continued to operate until ill health forced his retirement in 1953. He passed away October 19, 1959.
Leila, the fourth child of Eliza and Albert Booth, was born March 26, 1888. She, as did the other children of the Booth family, attended the Valley City schools and one year at the Normal School. She was awarded a scholarship to St. Olaf College but was unable to accept it as she did not have money for living expenses. Indeed, she was not interested in teaching school but leaned toward the business world.
She obtained a position with Attorney Paulson and enjoyed the exactness of the law profession. However, in September, 1911, she married George Davidson Kelsey and continued to live in Valley City. She worked for a number of years during the 1920's at the Barnes County Courthouse. After working here she aided her husband in the Credit Bureau office, especially after he became ill and until he retired. When George Kelsey passed away, she moved to Minneapolis to live with her daughter, Mrs. Ruth Proctor. In 1970 she became a resident of the
Episcopal Home in St. Paul where she lived until her death at age 86, June 28, 1974. She was a very special person with that certain quality that brought friendship and love to her from people of all ages.
George and Leila had two children. Harold Ross Kelsey was born August 2, 1912. Ruth Kelsey was born November 2, 1913. Harold attended the Valley City schools and also one year at the North Dakota State University in Fargo. He was first employed by Montgomery and Wards in 1933 and has worked for this firm ever since, managing stores five states. He is now the store manager in Centralia, Illinois. Harold married Janet Pearce in 1968 and her two sons live with them.
Ruth Kelsey Proctor attended the local schools thru three years of college and then obtained a B.A. degree from the University of Oregon. She then was offered a position with the Social Security Board in Baltimore, Maryland and later worked in Washington, D.C., Montana and Boise, Idaho. Here she met Charles Proctor and they were married December 23, 1943.
After the war they returned to Boise, Idaho where they lived until 1954. Ann Elizabeth was born September 9, 1947. In 1954 Charles Proctor was transferred to Minneapolis, where they have continued to live. Their daughter, Ann, also lives in Minneapolis and has a son, Gregory Nathan Schmitz, born in 1967.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 121