Russell Harrison Kelty, Jr., son of Russell H. (1897-1988) and Gladys (Harrison) (1889-1993) Kelty, was born 11 September 1919 in Ingham County, Michigan. He graduated from Okemos High School in 1937. Russell married Patricia Parmelee 12 September 1941 East Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan.
Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Saturday 13 September 1941
PAIR TO MAKE HOME IN CITY FOLLOWING TRIP
Miss Patricia Parmelee, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Wilson of Hamilton road, Okemos became the bride of Russell H. Kelty, Jr., son of Prof. and Mrs. R. H. Kelty of East Grand River avenue, East Lansing, at 7:30 o'clock Friday evening in the chapel of the People church at East Lansing. Dr. N. A. McCune read the service in the presence of about 100 friends.
Gladioli and asters formed a floral background for the ceremony and dark green palms stood behind the altar. The bride's only attendant was her sister, Miss Donna Jean Parmelee, and Donald Kelty attended his brother. Ushers were Paul Griffith of Sturgis, Don Wilson of Okemos and Starr Keesler of Dundee.
Patricia "Pat," was the daughter of Marshal E. and Madeline M. (Haley) Parmelee. Pat's father succumbed to pneumonia in 1932. Her mother, Madeline, remarried in 1935 Mr. Hiram Edward Wilson. Hiram and Madeline were tragically killed in an auto accident while traveling to California to vacation in 1951. Madeline was interred near her first husband, Marshall, Mt. Hope Cemetery, Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan.
In November 1941, only a few months after Russell and Pat married, Russell's parent's home on US 16 was completely destroyed by fire. The elder Mr. Kelty, an assistant professor of agriculture and extension specialist in agriculture at Michigan State College, was on a hunting trip on Drummond Island. His wife and daughter were in Detroit. No one was hurt but the house was a total loss.
Russell served in the US Army during World War II.
Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan)Sunday September 24, 1944
Recent graduates of the Kingman army air field flexible gunnery school situated a few miles outside of Kingman, Ariz., were Pfc. Russell H. Kelty, Jr., 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Kelty of 335 North Sycamore street.
Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Sunday 5 June 1966
R. H. Kelty, Jr., has been appointed assistant manager of Oldsmobile Division's Atlanta, Ga., zone, and R. A. Drake has been named to succeed Kelty as office manager-car distributor there.
The promotions were announced today by Atlanta zone manager, R. P. Seibel.
Kelty, in his new position, succeeds H. E. Luoma, who recently was named midwest fleet manager for Oldsmobile at the division's home offices in Lansing. Drake comes to the Atlanta zone from Charlotte, N.C., where he was a district manager in Oldsmobile's zone thee.
A native of Okemos, Michigan, and a graduate of Michigan State University, Kelty joined Oldsmobile in 1954.
Russell Harrison Kelty, Jr. died 26 June 2015 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina