BIO

My name is Jewel Kelly. I am a Christian, and I believe God is love. My wife (Caren) and I live in rural Jefferson County, right outside the town of Festus, Missouri. We are blessed with three daughters; Kacie, Camryn, and Courtney. Tragically, Camryn died by suicide in 2018.
I was born in Chicago, and when I was six years old my family moved to Rantoul, Illinois, a small town surrounded by corn, soybeans and a military base.
As the eldest of 18 siblings, I thank God my mother had the choice, and made the choice to bring me and all of my siblings into the world.
My parents taught us the core values of faith, family, patriotism, hard work and service.
All praises to God, I became the first in my family to graduate from college and earn an MBA degree.

Background

Two months following the attacks on Sept 11, 2001, I joined the Air Force, serving ten years as a Commissioned Officer. After my military service, I moved to Missouri, working for a large medical manufacturing company.
Thanks to the GI Bill, I was able to complete a Master’s Degree in Legal Studies from Washington University in Saint Louis, School of Law.
I fell in love with Missouri. My wife and I went on our first date in Arnold, MO. Caren was born and raised in Jefferson County, just south of St Louis. Together we became real estate agents, and grew our small business to help others live the American Dream.

With God, and higher education as a guiding light, the American Dream became possible for my siblings as well.

17 out of 18 siblings attended college, or a vocational school.
In 2016, at 64 years young, my father proudly completed his bachelor's degree!
My youngest sister was born with cerebral palsy and has never been able to see, talk or walk. At birth the doctors didn't think my sister would live past 5 years. Yet, on Jan 14th 2021, my fearless, resilient sister celebrated her 27th birthday!

I thank God every day, my parents taught us the difference between right and wrong, obeying the law, and the dangers of drugs and illegal activity.
As children, we were taught to wave whenever we saw a police officer and I fondly remember catching football passes with our hometown cops.
However, I need to be very clear; hard work and following the rules were not the primary factors contributing to God’s blessings in my life.
The opportunities I have were made possible by the sacrifices of my ancestors, community organizers, and voters who advocated for grants, scholarships and student loans.