RHINEBECK - The Dutchess County Historical Society has bestowed its highest research award on Arthur and Nancy Kelly of Rhinebeck for their "meticulous search for historical truth."

The Helen Wilkinson Reynolds award has been granted to only six previous recipients. In addition to the award, the Kellys each received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for "outstanding and invaluable service to the community."

"Several years ago, Nancy and I invited our daughter, Clare, and her three daughters to visit us during our stay in Florida," Arthur Kelly said. "We offered them a day at Disney World in Orlando. We engaged two rooms at a motel just outside the Disney gates and when the morning of the anticipated excursion occurred and while we were waiting for the shuttle bus to transport us to the Magic Kingdom, the youngest granddaughter, Julia, who was about 5-6 years old at the time, remarked, 'This is the most exciting day of my life!' I had a similar feeling upon receiving the prestigious Helen Wilkinson Reynolds award. We thank the Dutchess County Historical Society for their recognition."

Married nearly 50 years ago after meeting at their alma mater, Cornell University, the Kellys chose to raise their four children in Rhinebeck at the Sepascot Farm, which has been in their family for 100 years.

The couple founded and currently operate KINSHIP, a book publishing business that has grown out of their genealogical research that serves families throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Nancy Kelly has authored "A Brief History of Rhinebeck," served as Rhinebeck town historian since 1997, and is chairwoman of the Consortium of Rhinebeck History, a group of local historical organizations seeking to establish and maintain a database of archival material and organize a local history center. She additionally works as registrar of the Rhinebeck chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and is a member of the Dutchess County Genealogical Society, the Rhinebeck Historical Society, and the Palatine Farmstead Committee.

Arthur Kelly, a retired biology and chemistry teacher at Germantown Central School, established over 40 years ago a business of transcribing and indexing early church records from this area, and has published more than 225 records so far. Because early ministers wrote in a combination of German script, English and Latin, these are difficult manuscripts for a layperson to interpret. He provides area churches and libraries with a bound, indexed copy of the records for use in handling requests by genealogical researchers.

Arthur Kelly said he is always looking for church records - baptisms, marriages, deaths, memberships and confirmations, and also cemetery, newspaper and census records that would aid a genealogist and/or family historian in going about their research.

"An important recent effort of mine has been to attempt to gather an early history of Masonic membership for Dutchess County, and I would appreciate any help that I could receive," he said.

Arthur Kelly has served as editor of The Dutchess, a quarterly publication of the Dutchess County Genealogical Society that has been in existence since 1980.

In addition, for 15 years, Arthur Kelly prepared four Hudson Valley quarterlies for various regions of New York State. The Columbia, The Capital, The Saratoga, and The Mohawk contained previously unpublished material of a genealogical and historical nature, including indexes for all material.

A charter member of the Rhinebeck Historical Society, he was treasurer in its early years.