WebCatt's Genealogy

photo of Kerley bus at what is now VAN'S TRADING POST

you can just barely make out the name "Kerley"
at the top left of the bus's sun cover

The Vankeuren family is one of the oldest trading families still operating a store in the Tuba City, area. This location, at the foot of the mesa, is known to locals as Kerley Valley, named for John Kerley, another trader who was a partner in the Babbitt Bros. Trading Post in Tuba City. Finding the community of Tuba City too large for his liking, he moved to the "valley." Built in 1921, the old post sits right next to the gas company behind the new Van's Trading Post.

Comments from John E. Kerley:
The story of the Kerleys in Tuba City, as told to me by one of the Vankeuren owners:

There were 4 Kerley brothers who were running the Kerley Trading Post at Tuba City (near the Navaho Indian Reservation) who were visited by their Aunt Kerley who gave them some of their favorite canned food - I believe it was blackberry jam. (I don't know the year.) One of the brothers didn't eat any that evening as he wasn't feeling good. The next morning 3 brothers who had eaten the jam were dead. The remaining brother sold the trading post and left the area, moving to Montana - according to the young lady who is now running "Van's Trading Post" in Tuba City, AZ (East of the Grand Canyon). Her father bought the trading post from that remaining Kerley brother.

My brother Burl, our parents, and I visited the trading post in Tuba City in about 1987 while on a tour of the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and Bryce Canyon. The young lady, probably a Vankeuren, told me she purchased silver and turquoise jewelry from the Navaho Indians and sold it to shops in Phoenix and Tucson, AZ.

This story is in error. Steve E. Kerley of Mesa, AZ says it was his father Elvin Kerley who was operating the Kerley Trading Post at the Navaho Reservation when the death by botulism occurred. Elvin had two brothers (Richard and Edward) and a sister (Rosemary), all being the four children of John Patrick Kerley (one of three orphan boys that migrated to the USA from Ireland). It was a sister-in-law, Mavis, the wife of brother Edward (not a Kerley aunt) who gave some canned beets (not blackberry jam) to brother Richard who died (not 3 brothers that died) from the botulism.

Steve E. Kerley advises:
"My grandfather was one of three orphan boys that migrated to the states from Ireland. His name was John Patrick Kerley. My second son is named after him. John Patrick had three sons and one daughter. There was Richard, who died of botulism from canned beets made by his sister in law, Mavis. Mavis was my uncle Edward's wife. Ed passed away in Albuquerque, NM around 1979. Ed was a favorite uncle of mine and I still keep in touch with his children. Rosemary, I think!!!!!, died from TB at a young age. My dad was the last of the four children to pass away."

Robert P. Kerley received the following from his mother:
"Okay, here's the true scoop on the botulism. First of all, there were only three Kerley brothers. Richard, the oldest, was the only one there that day. They were celebrating Thanksgiving dinner, 1945 (November 22). Aunt Rena brought over canned beets which killed Richard and a maid, symptoms hit almost immediately. Mavis (Tom's mother) was the only one who ate the beets and survived. She was in an iron lung for quite some time. Edward (your grandfather) was in the Philippines at the time serving in the armed forces during WWII. The army would not let him come home even though his brother had died and his wife was deathly ill. I think we still have the telegram Ed sent expressing his concern over Mavis and little Tommy (your dad). Apparently, little Tommy took a bite of the beets, but spit them out with great distaste for them.

Elvin had to be the brother that the trading post was purchased from, but he never lived in Montana. Several years later, unrelated to the botulism incident, he and Phyllis sold the trading post in Tuba (City) and moved and opened a trading post in Kaibito, AZ (35 miles north of Tuba City)."

 

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