My Genealogy Hound

Capt. H. A. Kelling, engineer for the New Haven Roller Mills, was born in Germany in 1838, and is a son of Frederick Kelling, who came to the United States when our subject was about six years of age, and located twelve miles southeast of New Haven, Mo., where he died two years after. He served in the Prussian armada. The mother died in her native country. After the death of his father young Kelling lived with a step-brother until eighteen years of age, receiving very meager educational advantages, his schooling being limited to a few months. He then went to Sweetwater, Ill., and worked in a brickyard one season, going thence to St. Louis, where he remained several years engaged in the same business. He returned to New Haven about the time of the breaking up of the late war, enlisted in the militia and served three months, after which he entered the reserve corps, remaining there six months. In April, 1862, he joined Company E, First Missouri State Volunteer Infantry, for three years, and operated mostly in Southeast Missouri until the close of the war without any serious result. He enlisted in the Eighth corps, was afterward made fifth sergeant, late lieutenant and then captain, in which capacity he served one and a half years. He was discharged at St. Louis, April 15, 1865. Capt. Kelling then turned his attention to engineering on the Yellowstone, Missouri and Mississippi River steamers, and this has been his leading business ever since. He was married February 24, 1871, to Miss Missouri C. Trail, youngest daughter of Baswell and Anna J. Trail, born in Moniteau County, Mo. The results of this marriage were the birth of four children: Charley, Luther, Antoine and Oscar. Capt. Kelling is a Republican in politics, and cast his first presidential vote for A. Lincoln in 1860. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the G. A. R. Mrs. Kelling is a member of the Baptist Church.