1889-1951
Pioneer in the Marines, one of the first three women to be enlisted nationally, and first in Newark. She did general office work in the Marine Corps offices in Washington DC, assigned to the Publicity Bureau.
In Nov 1918, she was part of an official visit to Quantico and, later, she participated in a Marine Corps women basketball team. She entered service as a Private, with a pay rate of $90-110 a month, food and housing not included. She was on active duty from 1918-1919, and officially discharged in 1922.
Daughter of Irish immigrants, Mary Kelly lived in Newark from at least age 11, likely earlier. She worked as a saleslady by age 16. Later, she worked as a stenographer in Brooklyn at the Loewenthal Company, as private secretary to Paul Loewenthal which gave her the qualifications necessary for the Marines. She lived at 435 Central Ave when she enlisted. Later in life, she worked with many Marine organizations and married a Newark policeman, living in Bloomfield.
She was employed as a stenographer for the US Dept of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. She also had worked for the Agriculture Dept, the Veteran Affairs Office and Lyons Hospital.
Bibliography
“Newark Woman Enlists in US Marine Corps” Newark News Aug 17, 1918
“Pioneered as Woman Marine” Star Ledger Feb 12, 1950
US Marine Corps, Washington DC Women Marines in WWI
Census records