ALICE PARRIS FAMILY TREE: THE KELLY CHILDREN

Harold B Kelly Jr. In his Cardinal Farley’s Military Academy Uniform (boarding school)

Harold B Kelly Jr. During his early Oberlin University years

My mother and brother at Christmas time in the living room in Shaker Heights, Ohio

Harold B. Kelly Junior with wife, Bonnie & Daughter Danielle (both Oberlin grads)

Rhonda and me. She just graduated from Villa Maria HS. I’m wearing the “Twiggy” style

Rhonda at home in our living room in Shaker Heights

Rhonda at home from Tufts University

Rhonda Kelly at Fisk University

Me dresed for Junior Prom

Me at sixteen years old

Me on the steps of boarding school: Villa Maria HS

Me as a Fisk University Freshman

Alice Parris Family Tree exists because it is doubtful if I will write my autobiography. I lived my life hard and fast. I would not even know where to begin. I started college at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. After being undecided about a “real’ major”, I spent a little shy of two years being a “beach-bum’ in Freeport, Bahamas ( where my parents owned condos) I returned to Nashville and attended Tennessee State University where I got an associate degree in science; nursing-which went from med-surgery to specializing in Forensic Psychiatric Nursing. After working in many fields of nursing for twenty-five years, I went on to write two poetry books, published song lyrics, wrote jazz music, sang jazz renditions of my favorite influences, and become a Spoken Word Artist.

Few people could ever contemplate the lifestyle of some African Americans who had money and status in a country which had tried to deny both. Few would understand the “tri-racial” community which is my mother’s heritage. For example when both race riots broke out in Cleveland, Ohio in the 60’s, I was in Europe. We lived a fantasy lifestyle provided by my father, Dr. Harold B. Kelly.

The Kelly side of my family is atypical. My grandmother, Catherine Kelly was a school teacher, her husband Peter was one of the first black postal workers. Out of seven children, three became physicians, three educators and one nurse. The Kellys are well known in South Carolina and the children of the Kelly clan still own real estate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dr. Peter C. Kelly lived in Conway, S.C. They were buying property in Myrtle Beach before most people realized what a treasure it was. Dr. Peter C. Kelly sent my father, Harold B. Kelly to Howard medical school. My father in turn, sent my Aunt Dr. Vermelle Kelly Piper to medical school.

The Kellys owned a house in the middle of white Georgetown S.C. which was bequeathed to two freed slave children long ago. One of my father’s ancestor jumped off of a slave ship outside of St. Maartin. He was never a slave, but a free man who acquired the name Pierre Calais upon the tiny island. Pierre Calais ventured to New Orleans and worked as a trapper. The name Peter Kelly came from the name Pierre Calais. There is no Irish connection to be found here. All of the aforementioned has been obtained by oral tradition.

There are too many fascinating events happening with this family, that I cannot figure out where to begin. A picture is still worth one thousand words. This will be the last installation of family photos. Alice Parris

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ALICE PARRIS FAMILY TREE: MY FATHER’S HOUSE

My father, Harold B. Kelly M.D.

My mother with children before I was born

My father with us as young children

My mother with us as growing children

These are the houses that my family lived in. Some commentary from my mother about dates

These photos are of my father, my mother with my brother and sister (before I was born), My father, brother sister and I young, my mother, brother, sister and I a little older, and the houses that we grew up in. French was my first language because I grew up in Fontainbleu, France from ages 1 1/22 to 3 1/2. We were raised by French nannies, because my mother and father liked to travel all over Europe. Dr. Harold B. Kelly was a Captain in the army and that is where we were stationed. We traveled across the Atlantic Ocean on the Queen Mary. As I have aged, the more random French will roll off of my tongue in the most inappropriate of places.

I do not remember my very early childhood. I have watched films of myself running around at an Easter egg hunt on the grounds of the villa in France. They had to show me where the eggs were. My sister, Rhonda reports that we were locked in the cellar at the convenience of Antoinette or Louisiette, when their lovers would be over when my parents were out of town. I imagine that we were naughty children; my sister, Rhonda, threw a wooden coat hanger from the winding staircase and cracked one of them in the head. She was replaced.

We also lived in North Carolina (with a beach home in Myrtle Beach, S.C.) New Jersey (while my father did a residency in OB-GYN at Harlem Hospital in New York) as well as Shaker Heights, Ohio, as my father’s medical career dictated. I attended tenth grade in the High School where Paul Newman graduated. Alice Parris

ALICE PARRIS FAMILY TREE: MY BEAUTIFUL MOTHER, NORMA

My mother, Norma Richardson at nineteen years old

Norma Richardson at twenty

Norma Richardson Kelly in her late twenties

Norma Richardson Kelly at approximately forty years old

My mother Norma Richardson Harrison at eighty years old

My mother has been married to a physician, a Jewish attorney, a jazz trumpeter(in the Savannah Hall Of Fame) and a Professor Emeritus from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is now eighty-five years young. She is very active and possesses more vim and vigor than people a fraction of her age. She has never had to work a day in her life. She has lived in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for twenty-five years. This is my tribute of love for the beautiful Norma, without whose DNA, I would not have been able to pass down beauty to my children & grandchildren. Alice Parris

ALICE PARRIS FAMILY TREE: VERY OLD LEAVES

Lucian Battle of Nashville, North Carolina

Laura Battle Richarson in old age

Plummer Alston Richardson in old age

Plummer Alston Richarson in middle age

Plummer Alston Richardson’s voting registration

Plummer and Laura Richarson with first born, Ethel

Lucien Battle was my great-great grandfather on my mother, Norma Richardson’s father’s side. He lived in Nashville, North Carolina. Lucien’s daughter was Laura Battle Richardson. She married Plummer Alston Richardson. Plummer Alston Richardson is shown in his old age. Laura Battle Richardson is shown in her old age. Plummer Alston Richardson is shown in his middle age. Plummer and Laura are shown in their youth, with Laura holding their first born child, Ethel Richardson. Also shown is Plummer Alston Richardson’s voting registration dated in 1902.

According to some family historians, Plummer Alston Richardson left a North Carolina reservation and became a “colored” barber in Nashville, North Carolina. A marriage was brokered by Lucien Battle (Caucasian) for his daughter, Laura (mulatto) to Plummer. Plummer was a European/Native American mixture. During his life, Plummer Alston had become a millionaire from multiple businesses and real estate. What part Lucien Battle played in Plummer’s ascendancy is speculated upon by rumor. His wife, Laura, survived Plummer and lived to be ninety-six years old. This information was not gotten from an ancestry registry. These are the actual photos and documents preserved by the family. Alice Parris

Hello world!

My name is Alice Parris. I have a story I must tell. Look under writings and autobiographical. Read about. My name is scattered throughout cyberspace in cryptic poems, haunting songs, and sketchy biographical notes. In my blog, I will connect the dots and make a cohesive statement. Your forebearance is required. I will only write in one day, what my ADD will allow, and nothing more. I will be like Scheherazade whose Arabian Nights were spent telling 1001 tales, which proved to be her salvation. Telling my story might make me sane!