Family grateful to be part of three generations of Miami Mergers
Samantha Kelly ’17 says ‘an incredibly treasured thread’ connects her with parents, late grandparents
Family grateful to be part of three generations of Miami Mergers
Samantha Kelly ’17 says ‘an incredibly treasured thread’ connects her with parents, late grandparents
Samantha “Sammie” Kelly ’17 calls it a “point of pride” to be part of three generations of Miami Mergers — her grandparents, her parents, as well as herself and her husband, Matt.
Miami University has a tradition called Miami Mergers, which occurs when graduates of Miami marry each other, or “merge.”
“I'm so proud to be able to continue a practice that connects me to my parents and grandparents in such a special way,” she said, noting that she and Matt Kelly ’17 became engaged under Upham Arch on campus and married on Sept. 3, 2021, in Cincinnati.
Her parents, Steve ’83 and Becky Osborne ’81, married on May 30, 1993, at Oxford Presbyterian Church with a reception hosted at the Shriver Center.
Sammie Kelly’s grandparents, Fred ’50 and Mary Jane Brower ’56 MS ’78, who married on June 12, 1956, in Kumler Chapel, have since passed away. He died in 2025 and Mary Jane nearly a year later in July 2026.
“Now that my grandparents are gone, it feels like an incredibly treasured thread that keeps them present for me,” she said.
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