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While trying to fill in the blank, Kelly unraveled all sorts of interesting background on her ancestors, and ended up writing a 204-page book, called "The Kellys: An Irish-American Story."
Kelly's grandparents rode a covered wagon to Nebraska, on a path inhabited by American Indians and buffalo, and lived in a sod house. Her aunt was attacked by the Ku Klux Klan, and yet another relative was part of the famous orphan train.
"Nothing important, but they were there," she said.
The former "Today Show" regular gave advice at the Winona Senior Friendship Center on Wednesday about digging up information
for family genealogies. But while names and dates are important, if you don't record stories about your ancestors, they will become just names and dates on paper for your descendants, she said.
Collecting information
The first step in writing a family history is the paper trail, Kelly said. This includes searching for birth certificates, marriage licenses, military records and social security applications. Even census information is available after a number of years.
But sometimes, records don't collaborate with reality, she said.
Kelly's relatives said one of her uncles died from firecrackers thrown under his buggy, but his death certificate blamed the death on a gull bladder attack. It wasn't unusual for medical personnel to record lies in order to save families from embarrassment, Kelly said.
Other times, records uncover new information or disprove family tradition. Kelly discovered that same uncle had a stillborn child no one knew about. She also determined an aunt everyone talked about as being on the orphan train, hadn't rode it, and it was another aunt who had.
"Trust no one — especially your relatives," she said.
Kelly interviewed her family and also did outside research about the events her ancestors lived through. She traveled to an orphanage one aunt lived at and retraced the battlefields an uncle fought in.
While not everyone needs to go as deep as she did, "just get it down," she said.
After finishing her book, Kelly still doesn't know the answer to the question she started with, but said it was a journey worth taking.
Local history
Pat McGuire, 79, of Winona is writing a genealogy about her father's family. In the midst of research, an unknown relative in Poland, doing her own research, contacted McGuire, and the two are sharing information.
After listening to Kelly, McGuire said she is going to add more information about her relatives' lives, especially her father's.
"I really wish I had asked him more questions," she said.
Reporter Shannon Fiecke can be reached at (507) 453-3519 or shannon.fiecke@winonadailynews.com.
