The story of Eula Kelley, who lived to be 104 is one of resilience, kindness, and sharp wit
In the hit Broadway show Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda lyrically asked the question: “Who lives? Who dies? Who tells your story?” This lyric is a constant presence when listening to the stories of St. Andrew’s Parish modern history. A recent encounter with a neighbor, while walking on the West Ashley Greenway, brought this to mind again.
There are so many stories that have unfolded while researching the modern history of West Ashley. Listening to the stories of Byrnes Downs residents began my journey. Families like the Caldwells, original to the neighborhood; the Blantons, always up for a party; the Corvettes, Rutledge introduced me to the story of Roy Hart; the Roys, delivered the newspapers when that was a thing, are just a few of the names featured in Byrnes Downs, part of Arcadia’s Images of America series. And yet there is still listening to do.
When Dawn Balsam stopped me on the West Ashley Greenway and asked if I remembered Mary Quinn, the adventure of Mary’s and her mom’s life soon unfolded on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Mary Cecile Quinn lived at 631 Savannah Hwy. However, her story begins on the peninsula at 113 Smith St., the “last” white house on the street as it was racially divided when she lived there. Her parents, Eula Kelley and John Monaghan Quinn, had met when John was a patient and Eula was a nurse at Roper Hospital.
They grew a large family of six siblings prior to John’s death when Mary was six years of age. By the time Mary was thirteen, her mother had organized the funds to purchase their new home in Byrnes Downs from Frank Turner for $1,500 and the assumption of the mortgage. In 1945, the neighborhood was just being established and young families were moving to “the country” for the new suburban life.
Two of Mary’s older siblings had passed away at a young age and two were off to their new lives so managing in the two-bedroom one bathroom bungalow was easy for Eula and her two youngest. Eula continued working as a nurse, but was also resourceful, renting one of the rooms in the small bungalow. In addition, being devout Catholics, it helped that Blessed Sacrament Church was right across the street.
Mary would decide to enter the Dominican Order known as Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt after graduation. Many years later, a ruptured appendix ended her time in the convent as she returned to Charleston for medical treatment and convalescence. After deciding not to return to the convent, she would take local employment with Southern Bell. Mary and her mother would live together at 631 Savannah Hwy.
After Eula’s retirement in the 1960s, working in their yard was one of her hobbies. Her efforts didn’t go unnoticed as they were awarded “Yard of the Month” by the Byrnes Down Neighborhood Association in August of 1991. When Eula passed away in 2002 at the age of 104, Mary remained in the family home with the church community providing comfort. One of Mary’s activities would be to pray at the perpetual chapel at Blessed Sacrament on Fridays.
Mary left a “delicate footprint.” But her story is one of resilience, kindness, and wit. Dawn shared many of Mary’s “witticisms” like the ones that open this narrative. So, let’s all take care as Mary advised!
Have a people story? Contact local author and historian Donna Jacobs at westashleybook@gmail.com.
