There are some moments in life that we wish we could share with the people we love most. For me, this book is one of those moments. My wife, LaTanya D. Kelly-Douet, began this journey with a vision—to preserve the story of her family and, especially, the life and legacy of Edmond Kelly. She carried this story in her heart for many years. It was a story passed down through her family, told around the dinner table, shared at family gatherings, and remembered from one generation to the next. LaTanya believed this story was important. She believed that the courage, faith, struggles, and perseverance of those who came before us should not be forgotten. Sadly, LaTanya passed away in January 2020. She never had the opportunity to hold the completed book in her hands or see the finished work that grew from the vision she carried. That is perhaps the hardest part of completing this book. But it is also why I knew I could not allow her vision to end with her passing. I continued the work with the help and support of our family, preserving her words, her memories, and the story she wanted told. Every page became more than just a part of a book. It became a way of keeping her voice alive. As I look at the acknowledgments she wrote, I am reminded that she gave thanks to God, to her parents, to our children, and to me. Today, I give thanks for her. LaTanya was my wife, the mother of our children, and the person who entrusted me with a story she believed deserved to be remembered. Although she did not live to see this book completed, her vision lives on in these pages. This book is dedicated to her memory, to our children, to our family, to the Kelly family members whose names and stories may not yet be known to us, and to the generations who will come after us. I only wish she were here to see it. Peter Douet Author