Howard L. Kay
Howard L. Kay, one of the progressive young men of Spencerville, conducts a large real estate, loan and investment business, with office on Broadway. Mr. Kay was born at Watseka, Iroquois County, Illinois, and is a son of James W. and Adeline (Ellingwood) Kay.
The father of Mr. Kay was born in Illinois and the mother in Indiana. They were pioneer in Iroquois County, where they became prosperous farmers, and there the father still lives, advanced in ears. The mother died February 19,1889. Their children were: Wendell P., who is master in chancery at Watseka, Illinois; Howard L.; Wilbur Jones, late of the Chicago University, who now fills the chair of public speaking, in the faculty of Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania; and Miriam Ruth, who married Ralph Fraser Paine and resides near Paines, Michigan.
Howard L. Kay completed the primary school course in his native locality and continued his studies in Grand Prairie Seminary at Onarga, Illinois, where he was subsequently graduated. He then entered Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois, as a member of the class of 1897. In addition to being an excellent man of business, Mr. Kay, from childhood, has possessed musical talent. This talent has been cultivated and he is an accomplished musician. His fine tenor voice has been carefully trained under celebrated vocal teachers, both in New York and Chicago. He has entire charge of the choir of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Spencerville, and the music rendered in the services of this church would reflect credit upon a musical organization of a much larger place.
Howard L. Kay was united in marriage with Bessie Bice, who is a daughter of William and Tabitha (Sunderland) Brice. They have two children, viz: Wibster Bice and James Philip. Mrs. Kay, like her husband, is a talented and accomplished musician. She has had musical instruction from many of the noted teacher of the country, and her beautiful, sweet, clear soprano voice assists in making the music rendered by the Spencerville church choir especially enjoyable. She belongs to one of the old and honorable families of substance in this part of Ohio, one which has been connected with its material development for many years.