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Line 69: − − Kell died in Wichita Falls at the age of eighty-one and is interred there with other family members at Riverside Cemetery<ref name=findagrave/>
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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name=Franklin M. "Frank" Kell
|name=Franklin M. "Frank" Kell
(One of two principal entrepreneurs in Wichita Falls, Texas)
(One of two principal founding entrepreneurs in Wichita Falls, Texas)
|image=Frank Kell of TX.jpg
|birth_date=December 2, 1859
|birth_date=December 2, 1859
|death_date=September 17, 1941 (aged 81)
|death_date=September 17, 1941 (aged 81)
==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Prior to 1909, the Kells lived in a residence downtown on Scott Street. They then moved into the Kell House, a two-story Victorian home constructed between 1908 and 1910 at 900 Bluff Street and located just east of the Central Freeway and across from the First [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church in Wichita Falls. Lula Kemp Kell remained in the home until her death in 1957; their only unmarried daughter, Willie May Kell (1888–1980), thereafter lived in the residence until her death, after which time the Wichita County Heritage Society purchased the property and converted it into a museum.<ref name=sflood/>
Prior to 1909, the Kells lived in a residence downtown on Scott Street. They then moved into the Kell House, a two-story Victorian home constructed between 1908 and 1910 at 900 Bluff Street and located just east of the Central Freeway and across from the First [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church in Wichita Falls. Lula Kemp Kell remained in the home until her death in 1957; their only unmarried daughter, Willie May Kell (1888–1980), thereafter lived in the residence until her death, after which time the Wichita County Heritage Society purchased the property and converted it into a museum.<ref name=sflood/>
[[Image:Kell House Museum in TX.jpg|400px|right|Kell House Museum in Wichita Falls]]
The Kell House has unique features, including an elegant spiral staircase to the second floor. A formal parlor on the left side of the lower floor was in use only for a few special days of the year and otherwise closed off; it was opened with full decorations at [[Christmas]] and for weddings and even funerals. Frank Kell himself lay in state in the parlor. The idea of closing off the parlor for most of the year was intended to reinforce its special features. One room contained both a small library and a pool table. The kitchen was modern by the standards of that time. One of the five bedrooms, with a red quilt over the bed, was occupied by the daughter who had become engaged to marry; she would remain there until the day of her wedding. Her sisters, except for Willie May, would follow in line. Three daughters were married in the house; two others were wed in Wichita Falls churches. A fire occurred in one bedroom in the 1970s, but the house was quickly restored.<ref name=sflood>Stacie Flood, Kell House Museum, "A Tale of Two Houses (The Kell House in Wichita Falls)," West Texas Historical Association, Wichita Falls, Texas, April 5, 2013.</ref>
The Kell House has unique features, including an elegant spiral staircase to the second floor. A formal parlor on the left side of the lower floor was in use only for a few special days of the year and otherwise closed off; it was opened with full decorations at [[Christmas]] and for weddings and even funerals. Frank Kell himself lay in state in the parlor. The idea of closing off the parlor for most of the year was intended to reinforce its special features. One room contained both a small library and a pool table. The kitchen was modern by the standards of that time. One of the five bedrooms, with a red quilt over the bed, was occupied by the daughter who had become engaged to marry; she would remain there until the day of her wedding. Her sisters, except for Willie May, would follow in line. Three daughters were married in the house; two others were wed in Wichita Falls churches. A fire occurred in one bedroom in the 1970s, but the house was quickly restored.<ref name=sflood>Stacie Flood, Kell House Museum, "A Tale of Two Houses (The Kell House in Wichita Falls)," West Texas Historical Association, Wichita Falls, Texas, April 5, 2013.</ref>
The Kells donated rare books, many on the history and literature of Texas and the Southwest, to the [[University of Texas]] library in [[Austin]]. In 1930, the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce honored Kell as the "Outstanding Philanthropist" of the community. He is considered a "founding father" of Wichita Falls because of his pioneering work in the oil, railroads, and flour-milling industries.<ref name=tshao/>
The Kells donated rare books, many on the history and literature of Texas and the Southwest, to the [[University of Texas]] library in [[Austin]]. In 1930, the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce honored Kell as the "Outstanding Philanthropist" of the community. He is considered a "founding father" of Wichita Falls because of his pioneering work in the oil, railroads, and flour-milling industries.<ref name=tshao/>
==References==
==References==