Kelch, Laura Belle

Laura Belle Kelch was born September 1, 1912, in Cincinnati, Ohio and came to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1939. Before moving West, she attended the University of Cincinnati and pursued a degree in the field of Applied Arts. Kelch later lived in New York City, New York and Los Angeles, California before finally making Las Vegas her home.

She arrived in Las Vegas with her husband, Maxwell Kelch, who is among the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s list of “The First 100 Persons Who Shaped Southern Nevada.” Outside of the work she performed with her husband at the KENO radio station, Kelch was active in improving the Las Vegas Library by becoming the Chairman of the Library Association. She was a founding member of the Las Vegas Art League and a member of the Mesquite Club, which is the oldest women’s organization in Las Vegas.