Who was "Grandpa Celie"?

This photograph was shared with me many years ago by a fellow Davis family researcher, Kate Lund. She had the original photo in her personal collection that had passed down from her ancestor, Rebecca Anne Davis. On the back of the photo was written "Grandpa Celie". 

"Grandpa Celie"
Copy of the original as shared with me by a distant cousin about 15 years ago.

Rebecca Davis was a younger sister of my second great-grandfather, Joseph Crockett Davis, so Kate and I share their parents as common ancestors. Their father was John T. Davis (1825 - abt 1871) and their mother was Thursa Kelley (abt 1833 - abt 1865). They were married in 1848 in Ripley County, Missouri. The man labeled "Grandpa Celie" is believed to be Thursa's father with the name spelled incorrectly. I haven't been able to solve the mystery of who exactly he was, though.

Thursa, a nickname, was given the full name of Elizabeth Theresa Jane Kelley when she was born about 1832 or 1833 in either Kentucky or Arkansas. The only records I find with any kind of "birth" info are two census records, in 1850 and 1860, and they list the two states as her place of birth. She was already married by 1850, so wasn't still in the home of her parents. She and John were living in Wayne County, Missouri and had one child. But, a clue, there was also a girl listed as Rebecca Massy, 13-years-old, born in Arkansas, living in the same household.

1850 Federal Census, Wayne County, Missouri
Image from Ancestry.com

A Rebecca M. Kelley married Uriah Duncan in 1853. In 1860, the Duncans lived next door to the John and Thursa Davis family, now in Texas County, Missouri. I believe Rebecca Massy Kelley was the sister of Thursa Kelley. This hasn't led me to their parents but does provide some clues that I hope might help to solve the mystery.

Rebecca's middle name might be a clue. Children were sometimes given the mother's maiden name as a middle name. Usually, it was given to a son, so perhaps the Kelleys had only daughters. I've looked for a Kelley man that married a Massey woman and so far haven't found anything.

Another possible clue may be in the naming of Thursa and Rebecca's children. Thursa's first son was named James E. Davis. Rebecca's first son was named Erasmus. Was Erasmus a family name? It wasn't a name found on either of their husband's sides of the family. Perhaps their father's name? So far I haven't found an Erasmus Kelley that fits to be their father. I really don't even know if the E. middle initial found for James stands for Erasmus, so it's just a guess at this point.

One more clue is that Rebecca's birthplace is consistently given as Arkansas and she was five years younger than Thursa. While it's still possible that Thursa was born in Kentucky, it seems clear that the family lived in Arkansas soon after. But how did Thursa and Rebecca get to Missouri? How long was the family even in Arkansas?

Also, in 1850, 13-year-old Rebecca lived with her older sister. Had their parents passed away? Maybe just their mother had passed and their father had either remarried or was off looking for work?

Clearly, there is still much work to be done to figure out who exactly "Grandpa Celie" was. Puzzling out these mysteries and breaking through "brick walls" is the greatest reward for a genealogist. I'll keep at it.