From Sawdust to Stardust
The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy
Chapter I: The Preacher's Son
"It was a hard row to hoe, to be perfect."
DeForest Kelley, 1992
Reverend Ernest David Kelley began his ministry to the congregation of Conyers, Georgia, on January 12, 1930. At first meeting, the new shepherd made a mild impression, fine-boned with smooth skin, spectacles, and a bald head. By surface appearances, he was a timid man, but his quick, sharp eyes and the fire of his sermons revealed that he was not. His greatest gifts were the content of his sermons and the strength of his presence in the pulpit. His own soul knew the bitter taste of daily trials, and so he was a genuine witness in his mission to frail humanity. His was a constant litany, crying out about the perfect soul-gathering rescue of Jesus Christ and the joys to be found in him.
Reverend Kelley could speak directly to the souls of these Georgia people. His heritage was close to that of his congregants. The Kelley family origins were proud, Irish, and Southern. From Virginia in the 1750s, the Kelleys found their way in ... read full excerpt from From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy ebook
