Family legend says the first wife of Francis Kelly, Letitia, was
pregnant when killed by Union soldiers as she tried to escape
them. FrancisÕ Company C was captured in Feb 1862 at Fort
Donelson, put in the Kentucky army, later exchanged and sent to
West Virginia.
Stroke - Spinal Menengitis
John Steger Meade (b. 1898) was born at the family residence,
828 Paxton Avenue, Danville, Virginia. His mother died when he
was six years old . His step-mother helped raise the four
children. After completing the ninth grade he went to work to
help support the family and his first job was as a runner for
the First National Bank of Danville. After about two years he
went into the tobacco business. He joined the United States
Marines during World War I, but was shortly released due to
having flat feet. He was a buyer on the Petersburg tobacco
market with another buyer, Sam Morrill with Liggett & Myers ,
when they met the two Stratton sisters. They ended up marrying
them. At age 28 he joined the firm of J. M. Edmunds Company on
July 1, 1927. This company was founded in 1925 by his mother`s
brother ( his Uncle ), John Mabry Edmunds. He was Vice-President
at the time of Mr. Edmunds` death on Nov. 27, 1938 at which time
he was made President and held this position until his
retirement on July 1, 1964. The name of the firm was changed to
Virginia Tobacco Company, Inc. in 1943. He made many trips to
Europe and the Far East in the era when one packed a trunk and
took the train where he departed by steamer. He was on the board
of directors of the American National Bank and Trust Compny,
served as President of the Danville Tobacco Association
1933-1935. He had been dove hunting and it is thought he
contacted spinal meninginitis from the birds and died of a
stroke in The Memorial Hospital ( now Danville Regional Medical
Center ) on November 16, 1964.
