Keller, John F.

KELLER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/29/2021 at 12:47:48

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.880

JOHN F. KELLER
John F. Keller is one of the active and successful farmers and stock-raisers of Lincoln Township, living on section 15. He was born in Peoria County, Illinois, September 21, 1854. His father, Jacob G. Keller, was a native of Juniata County, Pennsylvania, born in 1830, and there he was reared to manhood. When a young man he went west to Peoria County, Illinois, where he cast his lot with the early settlers and while living there he mar­ried Miss Matilda Frank, also a native of Juniata County, Pennsylvania. For many years Mr. Keller followed farming near the city of Peoria and there reared his family numbering fourteen children, eleven of whom, two sons and nine daughters, have reached adult age and are now married and heads of families. The father has reached the very venerable age of seventy-eight years.
John F. Keller spent his boyhood and youth on the home farm and attended the district schools of the neighborhood. Having arrived at mature years, he farmed with his father for one year and in 1876 came to Iowa, estab­lishing his home in Warren County. Not having capital sufficient to enable him to purchase land, he cultivated a rented farm for several years, or until his diligence and economy enabled him to become owner of a farm. He made further arrangements for having a home of his own by his marriage in this county on the 3d of September 1883, to Miss Jennie Burnett, who was born in Ohio and became a teacher of Illinois and later of Iowa. She followed that profession for several years and is a well educated lady, possessing also much natural refinement and culture. The young couple began their domestic life in Warren County where they lived until 1895 when Mr. Keller removed to Minnesota, settling in Mattawan County, where he followed farming for five years, returning to Warren County in 1900. In 1903 he purchased the prop­erty upon which he now resides. He has eighty acres in the home place on section 15, Lincoln Township and he is also cultivating a tract of seventy-five acres elsewhere. He has made substantial improvements on his farm, has repaired and altered the house, has built a good barn, fenced the fields and altogether has made of the property a fine place. In connection with the tilling of the soil he raises and fattens hogs for the market and derives a good income from this branch of his business. He has led a life of industry, intelligently applied and well directed, and his untiring diligence is bringing to him a gratifying measure of success.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Keller has been blessed with six children: Wilson F., Robert L., Maggie E., Bertha M., L. R., and Elmer H. The parents are members of the Christian Church and are widely and favorably known in this community. In politics Mr. Keller was formerly a Democrat, but now votes independently, supporting men and measures regardless of party. He has been officially connected with the schools as director for a num­ber of years and is interested in all that pertains to the welfare and improve­ment of the county, while his own worth as a man and citizen contributes to its agricultural standing.