Joel Parish Kelley was born October 3, 1825 in North Carolina and died on February 19, 1872 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas. His marker is the oldest known grave in the Concord Cemetery, Anderson County, Texas.
He married Deborah Ansofee Funderburk in 1845 in Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana. She was born November 4, 1828 in Alabama and died March 3, 1913 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas. She is buried beside her husband in the Concord Cemetery, Anderson County, Texas. She was the daughter of Henry Funderburk and Sara Ann Wilson. They both died in 1858 and are buried at Ward Chapel Cemetery in Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana.
Joel Parish Kelley, along with his parents, brother John and sisters, Jennie and Malinda, moved to Alabama in the early 1830’s. The 1840 census of Perry County, Alabama listed—William C. Kelley and John C. Kelley. The family then moved to Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana near the Concord Community just Northeast of there about 1842.
The 1850 Census of Union Parish, Louisiana listed Joel P. Kelley-age 25, Deborah Kelley-age 21, Cornelius Kelley-age 3, B.D.(Cal) Kelley –age 1 and Tabitha Kelley-age 63.
The census of 1860 in Union Parish, Louisiana still listed Joel P. Kelley and family but with 4 children.
Joel and Deborah Kelley lived in Union Parish long enough for all eight of their children to be born there prior to the family moving to Texas around 1869.
Joel’s sister, Jennie Smith and Malinda Davis also moved to Texas. Jennie Smith and her family settled elsewhere rather than settle in the Concord area. There is no record of where they went and what happened to them.
Malinda Davis’ husband had disappeared in Louisiana so she moved to Texas with her brother, John C. Kelley and according to the 1860 Chambers County census she and her two sons lived in Chambers County. We have no record of her death or burial.
Joel Kelley and Van Funderburk(Deborah Kelley’s brother) lived on adjoining farms in the area about 12 miles north of Palestine in the Concord Community, then known as Fitzgerald. The records from the Anderson County Courthouse show that Joel Kelley never actually owned any land in Anderson County. He was in the process of buying it when he got sick and died. Van Funderburk bought the land and then later sold it to Deborah Kelley when it was okay for women to own land. This is the land that is known as the Kelley land where the Concord Church and Cemetery is located.
Joel Kelley died of spinal Meningitis on February 19, 1872 shortly after coming to Texas and was the first person buried in the Concord Cemetery, Anderson County, Texas. His wife, Deborah, who lived another 41 years and never remarried, is buried beside him in the Concord Cemetery. She died March 30, 1913 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas.
The children of Joel Kelley and Deborah Funderburk are:
- Cornelius D. Kelley—born November 4, 1847 in Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana. He died October 3, 1926 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas. He is buried in the Concord Cemetery in Anderson County, Texas.
- Baron DeKalb(Cal) Kelley—born 1850 in Farmerville, Union Parish,Louisiana. He died January 13, 1933 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas. He is buried in the Concord Cemetery, Anderson County, Texas.
- Emily Frances Kelley—born November 13, 1856 in Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana. She died in 1924 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas. She married Lewis Johnson and they are both buried in the Concord Cemetery in Anderson County, Texas.
- Nancy Jane Kelley—born March 18, 1859 in Farmerville, Union Parish,Louisiana. She died November 11, 1942 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas. She married W.H. (Bud) Harding and they are both buried in the Concord Cemetery in Anderson County, Texas
- William Wilson Kelley—born June 26, 1861 in Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana. He died January 18, 1945 in Concord, Anderson County,Texas. He is buried in the Concord Cemetery, Anderson County, Texas
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- John Van Kelley—born March 18,1865 in Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana. He died April 26, 1942 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas. He is buried in the Concord Cemetery in Anderson County, Texas.
- George Alvis Kelley—born 1868 in Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana. He died in 1933 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas. He is buried in the Concord Cemetery in Anderson County, Texas.
- Rhoda Kelley—born 1869 in Farmerville,Union Parish, Louisiana. She died in 1875 in Concord, Anderson County, Texas and she is buried in the Concord Cemetery in Anderson County Texas.