Irving's father James Owen Kellum (1860-1940) led an interesting life. He grew up in New Hampshire and as a young man injured one of his legs while clearing land. The leg had to be amputated, but he managed to fashion a wooden leg for himself.

James married Katherine (Kitty) Louise Toombs in Whatcom County, Washington in 1890. Kitty was born in Pennsylvania in 1867. We do not know how they met or wound up in Washington state. They had their only child, Irving Asa Kellum in Bellingham on 31 Jul 1891. James was a jeweler. He and his family moved to Minnesota by 1910,

In his later years, James lived in Bingham Lake (a small town south of St. Paul, MN) with his son and daughter-in-law Hazel May (nee Morton).  His granddaughter Lyla recalled that he did not like little kids. Another story is that he began eating peas with a knife. Certain family believed he had a stroke, dementia or some other neurological problem.

Kellum Ancestor Portraits

James Owen and Katherine "Kitty" Louise (Toombs) Kellum, Irving's parents

The above two photos are courtesy of Ancestry.com user GMike1947, descendant of Lida Kellum, sister of James Owen Kellum, who writes: "From the photo albums of Sarah Helen Morse re-discovered by my cousin Steve Lammert"