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Source: Church History Vol. 4 Chapter 42 Page: 728 (~1830)

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728 when under the afflictions and perils of life; thus proving that it is better after all to serve the Lord and seek first the interest of his work than not to serve him.

In early life E. L. Kelley was engaged in the occupation of farming, and received his first schooling in a country schoolhouse. When eighteen years of age, he taught his first term of school in the neighborhood where he was raised. During portions of the years 1863 and 1864, he attended school at the University of Iowa, furnishing his way by his own efforts, his father having died June 10, 1861, leaving a widow and a large family of children.

On the 23d of May, 1864, he united with the church at the semiannual conference held near Council Bluffs, Iowa, Elder George Sweet officiating at the baptism and Elder W. W. Blair in the confirmation. He attended a general conference of the church first in April, 1865, near Sandwich, Illinois, and from there went to Poughkeepsie, New York, and attended the Eastman Business College. After finishing a commercial course of study he tried to get a position in New York City, but did not succeed and hired to work as a boat hand on the steamer, Herald, one of the Thomas Cornell line of steamers, running between New York City and Rondout on the Hudson River, and worked at this till December 22, 1865.

The first of January, 1866, he was given the principalship of the boys' high school in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and at the close of the term returned West and worked for Edwards & Greenough, on the Chicago city directory.

In the fall of 1866, he began teaching again and took a school near Clinton, Illinois. While here he passed through a severe siege of typhoid fever, a disease prevalent at times in Central Illinois. His friends who cared for him were greatly alarmed at his condition at this time, but he recovered and returned to his home in Western Iowa, and in the spring and summer of 1867, taught a school at Crescent City, Iowa.

From the fall of 1867 to March 1870, he was in the drug business in Logan, Harrison County, Iowa. In April, 1870, he again attended the University of Iowa, but in the fall began teaching in his old school near Clinton, Illinois. While

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