Although she was never married or had children of her own, Amy A. Kelley knew just about everything there was to know about housekeeping, cooking and taking care of a family.
Described by loved ones as “a headstrong individual, who beneath her stern countenance had a heart of gold,” the former nanny and professional cook enjoyed giving advice, particularly in her later years, to those looking to prepare a delicious meal.
“She had a wealth of experience in the kitchen that she’d share with anyone,” niece Marjean M. Walls said. “She also had some wonderful secret recipes that have never been duplicated.”
Ms. Kelley, 97, of Aurora, the first chief cook at Mill Race Inn in Geneva in the early 1930s, died Sunday, Oct. 9, at Countryside Care Centre in Aurora, where she had been a resident for the last 14 years.
Born near Harding, Ill., Ms. Kelley was one of three daughters raised on her family’s farm, until a cyclone destroyed it, when she was 6 years old.
“Her family made it out alive, but their home was completely demolished,” her niece said. “All that was left of the barn was the roof.”
Ms. Kelley and her family then moved to Batavia, where she developed an interest in cooking and began helping her mother with meals. After graduating from Batavia High School in 1926, she worked for several years as a nanny for Anne McKnight, an Aurora resident who became an opera singer during the 1940s and 50s, family members said.
In 1933, sisters Ann and Marjorie Forsyth hired Ms. Kelley to serve as their “chief cook and bottle washer” at their newly opened Mill Race Inn, a Geneva restaurant along the banks of the Fox River still popular today. She remained there until 1946, when the sisters sold the restaurant to Ray C. Johns, a Chicago businessman and restaurateur.
“Her signature foods were her version of the twice-baked potato and a delicious salad dressing that consisted of olive oil, vinegar and all kinds of herbs and spices,” her niece said. “People also loved her hollandaise sauce, which years later I used to get my daughter to eat broccoli.”
After leaving the restaurant, Ms. Kelley continued to work for the Forsyth sisters, serving as their live-in cook and tending their house in Aurora, whenever they were away. She stayed with them for more than 40 years, until the sisters moved to a private-care facility.
Through the years, Ms. Kelley attended St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Aurora, where she was a member of the Hope Circle of the Dorcas Society, helping to serve the needy in the community. She was also a member of The Women of the Moose.
“She was just a very giving person, always making donations and looking for ways to help the less fortunate,” her niece said.
Ms. Kelley is survived by many great- and great-great nieces and nephews.
Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday in Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, to be followed by an 11 a.m. service in the funeral home.
