Lenore McKelvey Puhek tells the story of how the trowel came to be in the possession of this McKelvey family and their historic links with the Cathedral of St Helena:
A special surprise greeted Monsignor Kevin O’Neill, on October 16, 2009, when members of the pioneer family of James McKelvey filled his office.
Mrs. Dorothy Struckman, Claremont, California, and her sister Betty Mahon, Upland Hills, California, presented Monsignor O’Neill with the original trowel used by Bishop Carroll in the laying of the Cathedral of St. Helena cornerstone, October 4, 1908.
Their mother, Annie McKelvey, age 12, in 1908, won the trowel in a contest, “The Most Popular Girl in Montana.” She, with the help of her father, sold tickets and collected money throughout the State of Montana towards the building fund.
She stood next to Bishop Carroll as he mortared the corner stone, using the silver trowel engraved with a cross and inscription date. He then turned to the delighted little girl and handed her the trowel.
Kept in a special glass box, the trowel has held a place of honour in Dorothy’s family for 101 years,
Over sixty McKelvey family members gathered in Helena from Donegal, Ireland, California, Washington, and Montana for a reunion. Dorothy decided the time was right to bring the trowel back to the Cathedral for the museum.
The Patriarch, James McKelvey, from Finntown/Glenties, Ireland, started his family as a member of the Cathedral of St. Helena Parish in the 1880s.
He owned and operated the McKelvey Limestone Co., at the south end of West Main Street. He provided the lime for most of the historic buildings in Helena, including the Montana State Capitol. He was a member of the “Honor guard,” the highest order of the Knights of Columbus, and a charter member of the original Ancient Order of Hibernians.
He and his wife, Mary Jane, raised five sons and one daughter. These children attended the Catholic schools.
Patrick and Judy McKelvey continue the family church connection and traditions.
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