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November 23, 1939.
Life History
ire. Hansa Kelly Brady,
(luge 72)
41 South 6th -it.,
Fernandina, :Florida.
Rose Shepherd, Writer.
WR8. KLIZA KKLLT BRADY.
More than one resident of Pernandina had said: "Thu go
see Mrs. Brady, if anybody knows and remembers things about
this town, it's Wise =so. And she oan tell you all about
Bt. Miohael's Ottholio Churoh she.psuotioally lives there."
Pre. Brady's homo is 4 two-story-and-attia frame residenee
with double front baloonies adorned with spindle posts and the
Tinserbrsad laos-work of tho early 1880's. Th4 residenoe
evidently originally °entered a la'rge plot of e;round, but as
streets were out throus0 this +motion and sidewalks laid,these
oivio ilprovements enurouahad on the promisee until now the
front steps are flush with the pavoment and tha row of stately
liveoaks that formerly ehased the front yard are on the outer
edge of the widewalk adj,:uent to the street. The spacious
side yard to the north is a veritable tropioal rden with its
:well cared for magnolias, liveoaks„ peuan trees, rambling
vines, roses and Perennials.
when the doorbell sounded throughout the large house,
quiok step' were heard on tha souond floor, and u voles
willed down from the uppor baluony "Just aome in, rhoever
you ?ire, awl I'll be dowii in minute."
The front door lawiing into tho nurrow hall, with its
stairway to tha s000nd floor was open, and the door opening
into the living room as ajur, so that access was easy into
Mrs. Ansa K. Brady Life history 2
this home, whose reputation for hospitality was oonfirmed by
the informal invitation to enter.
A low fire burned IL the grate in the living room. An
old fashioned grand piano took up the wide spaoe of the north
wall, this- rose-oolorad rug and the furniture, although showing
u genlration of use, we well ohoeen, and 'Ovary available
spuce on tha piano, tho maatel over tho fireplaoe, the two
°enter tablas rith thoir reaciin.; lamps, wus filled with photo-
graphs of the Brady fwiAly and uatholio clergy.
Hrs. Brady oame down the stairs, and entered the room
with a cordial grafting, dross:d in a long rose-colored coat
and wearing a small black felt hut pulled well down over her
wirey gray hair. Sho is u tall spare woman, with pleasant
features, gray Irish eyes, famed in the locality for their
friendliness, and oea not look tithin tau years of her age.
"No, I an not ;caing out
I just oume in," said Pre.
Kelly. "r havo every week to visit the old nosquobello
Cemetery, this is Wednesday, ny day to visit the 4:raves of
my family who are gains an my friends of earlier days, *hom
I have outlived. I have spent moot of the afternoon there,
and I'll just koon my .at and coat on, Lle the fire has Tono
down and it is rathor chilly.
'Yes, I am a native, and have been elosely identified with
the life of PernaAinu for mi thole seventy-two years. I was
the only ohild of Daniel Kelly and nary nussell Kelly who mot-
tled in rernandina in 1862. my father came from Sligo, Ireland,
und my moth)r from Dublin. My family have been continuous
residents since the above date, taking an aotive part in the
lire. Bliss Y. Brary (Life History) 3.
upbuilding of Farnandina and Nassau CoUnty.
"In 1890 I was !narriod to 'atrick R. Brady who game from
Columbus, aeor3la to Fernandina, openinT tho only'exclusive
furniture store in Nassau County, which ho coLtinued to operate
until the tivo of his loath.
"We had two ahildron, Pre. Lewis r. Ohadwiok, rediding in
Pernsaldina, and Anthony Rogers Brady.
"I have ,lven you the infortion about the apanish-
American War" (See previous interview) &ad I wait to
say that my son, AnOhony Rogors Brady (Rogore wus Mr. Bradyie
mother's name) was born in ray, 1898, the year of the Spaniph-
Amerioun War.
"I was considered to have a talent in music, and w s given
speolul tr,dning, purtioul,..rly in ohurah music, and Was organist
for many yofixe at, St. Michael's Chul'ah. then my baby Aae SO
little, und cin bundays•tho military high muss we so long,
.s1(
tha little aolored nurse used to wheel_ him up behind the ohuroh,
and the ba(1 plod ,Arld. the oldiers sang the Star
Spangled Bani.or, I would slip out and nurse little Anthony.
"By a striaago coincidence, this boy, the pride of my life,
is a soldier of Undo Sam. Ho graduated from Annapolis in
1922. He is now forty -ono yours of aio, and is listimenant-
q,qmmrof the aerial squadron in ?earl Harbor at Honolulu.
Hawaii.
"After his iraduation froh the U. S. Naval Aoademy, his
first assignment was on the flagship ,Iiittsburg in Auropean
waters.
Ha spent :i7our years in Aurope. Aftor serving in
Mrs. &Lisa Kelly Brady (Life nistory) 4.
in this oapaoity, he was aosignod to the Huron, flagship of
the Asiatic Fleet, and was made navigator on the Yangste-Xiang
and
River; between Shanghai and Manila. Thal, he vuu sent to San
Juan,ani made an aerial survey in Nioaurauga, nhen young
Theodore nooeevelt was qovnrnor-qoneral of Puerto Hieo.
Just previous to bning transferred again to the Orient, my
son was in-truetor or six ylars at _!:vinsaool,4 Stationotaaaha
ingaviation.
"Here is a olipPins' from a Honolulu paper ho'sent me
recently gi7ing an aconnt of ,agat Segarstrom having been
awarded a Told medal for'roscuing Lt. Comdr. a. R. Brady,
U. SO
H., from drowning on Rovember 17, 1958, at Mold air
)se, ?earl Harbor, T. H. Segerstrom is attaahed to the
Commandlr's ,:ircraft scouting forae. Kis gbld medal is the
first to be awarded an erlistad man of the Ift,y eihOe 1932.°
"It seems my son ill commanA 01: squad, raproselited by
three planes: Bihind him was another ()Maar, and uman
who handled the torpedoes in the maneuvering flight. My eon
was first to sue th ,t the torpedo earner W e not ooaneoted
right, ana tie the plane et;trted to full, he swiftly put on
eneclal suit a kind of life preaervIr outfit but
the other two °Metre filod to obsarve thia pr4oaution and
when the plane hit Vle water of t bay they w*re instantly
killsd. This young Segerstr'om fished my eon out, more dead
than alive. He had a bad head injury and was unconscious for
some time, but they kett him at the post hospital for a month,
and unon examination pronounoed him 411 rilht. The accident
Mrs. 41isse Y. Brady (Life History) 5.
"The aooidentnwas annonnued over the rAio, und I re-
oeived letters of inquiry and sympathy from all oval* the
country.
"Now about the St. Wiohael's Churoh: When my tAther
oume hero in 1852, he brought his mother. Both of them were
Catholics. Thorn cwts no priest, but there was a ohurch in
Old Tmn (old Porraindina). The priosts who oeoaspenshly
offioiated were mostly from Italy anft ?rano'. They were
°ailed missionaries. There was no way of reaching here only
on mules through swampe, ditches, and donee- shrubbory. There
were no roads. St. AuTuptine 11,18 always loen the ha -.4 of
this dioosse.
"The first Catholic Bishop in this eart of Florida
was AuTustine Beret, a Yrenohman, who r'is considered a won-
derfai soholur. With him -•t-re Father O'Brea, Father Clavoreil,
Father Hugon. and Fathor DuPau, who va:4 eastor cif the churoh
in Juoksonville for Tally ;ilars.
"Father Olavereil oame to Fernandina on a mule, and with
a long rope tied the animal to a big liveoak treo right soros*
the street here on Sixth 4nd ;she. xos, tho trao is still there.
"Then eume Father John Bataxza, Father spunduri, und
Father Sartouri
all Italians who spent months of their
lives in Florida right after tha war between the States.
The first two named rriosta !Are buried in the yurd of ut.
richuelss.
"When the terrible epidemic of yellow fever (earn(' in
1877 and LAStail in 1888, a young priest, Rov. Father Anthony
Yilooyne °time to yernandina, to serve as pastor at St. Alohaelms.
Mrs. alisa Kelly Brady (Life'llistarr) 6.
"Whin he first came here he was about 31 iears of age.
He wont about ministering to the strioken, without reg:.ird
to oreed or color, and did a lot of good, but at lust he was
also taken with the malignant fever and died from its el:feats.
Then a rrenoh priest, rather Hu;on, came to relieve the suf-
ferers.
"The 3pisoopalian minist)r who stayed here during the
yellow fever epidemic was Rev. John Thaokera. Aswan a native
of rornandina, and stayed ri!Oit at his post of duty.
"I remember rather Kilooyne 04.4.013 to my mother's home
ri.!rht 1-rom a sickroom, with the black vomit on his hands,
in itself u sure sign of death from the plague. Terrible times'
"So Fernandina's history is interwoven with that of the
churches.
"After rather 'Hugon, teams HOY. Maurice P. Ailey, D. D.,
who was pastor of St. Michael's. After spondinl. several
years in Pernandina, he was rde Bishop of Tugugaroe, in the
Philippine Islands, near manila. He was a Heston man, Ind
died in the Philippines, whe,:e he is buried.
"Another of the Italian priests who was muoh loved in
this section in the early ;oars was rather Hotelueio. The
surly missionaries were of the Jesuit urder, and following
them were the rranoiscans.
"During the War between the States I have 'often heard my
parents and an old lady living in t. Auguptine speak of a
Jesuit priest by the name of Hadilton. ?ether Hamilton *u$
Irish and was a famous scholar who was much revered and much
loved. He was located in Jacksonville, and today there are
Mrs. Utz& Kelly Brady (Life HistorY)
7.
many men in Duval, Hassuu, i..nd St. Johns uou,ity, who buiAr the
name of 'Hamilton' in honor of this much loved priest.
"The Right Reverend Bishop John Hoore as the bishop of
the Dios:Jose of St. AuRustino during tho :pailish-,,moricun War.
Then we had Bishop Curley, now Archbishop uurley, and our
present Bishop, the Ri7ht Reverend 'Patrick Burry, uho Las
don* valiant work in florid for the past forty ylare. Re
did a treat wo k luriLT thl cranish-Ama2i(rAn
"I mnet not forget to toll you that state senator Dan A.
Kelly is my nephew. ye was born in ferilw.linia on July 4, 1908,
the eon of Daniel A. Kelly and Dora telly. uiu grandfather,
the Hon. Patrick Kelly, tendarai valuable service during the
War Betweln the Stfltes. Ha vas the first Democratic kinator
from !lessen County and -held mally rosnonsible positions during
his long eareer. mis grand -mother, Christine bussaut, of
St. Mary's, Geor*a, was froL an old. :;outhern family. v•han
the bell of freedom rung in firnandina, hi* grandmother,
Christina bessant Kelly, fried by her own right, twelve colored
men, the younRest, Paul Aobinlon, zod 16. The desoend,nts of
these slaves live here in rernandiva, ad ,,re•wod-livii4g people.
"Yee, I still play the oran at t.Aichael'a, aspoeiUly
at funerals wid wedlinTs. It is not unueaul for tho youngsters
to 40710 ,Afouni 4 Haw, 'Hiss 'Liza, I want you to play or my
wedding,''and I always go, wherever I oan serve or do good."
We we.t to the door, uni us sho said good-bye, she pointed
to a rsoildence aerose the strict, whore Ltartha Reid, a famous
60 thirn nurse and wife of sx-governor Robert Raymond Reid, kept
house "or her nephew for seventeen years, preceding her .death.