In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1912) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1843
From A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902), History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912)
OLIVER J. KELLER.
Prominent in Liberty township is Oliver J. Keller, a progressive and representative business citizen of Crawford county and a member of the mercantile firm of O. & C. Keller, of Sulphur Springs. Mr. Keller was born in Northampton county Pennsylvania, on July 28, 1843, and was a son of Joseph and Lovina (Kline) Keller, the former of whom was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, about 1823, and was a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Shook) Keller, both also natives of Northampton county. In the spring of 1857 Jacob Keller, the grandfather of our subject, came to Crawford county and bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Sandusky township, and also one of eighty acres in Liberty township, making his home on the first tract, with his son, Joseph, residing there several years, and then removed to a property which he purchased in the village of Sulphur Springs, and upon which he resided until his death.
Joseph Keller, the father of our subject, came to Crawford county in
1857 with his father, and after some years of residence on the Sandusky township farm, purchased it and continued to live there until 1876, when he rented it to his son, Josiah, since deceased, and removed to Sulphur Springs, where he lived until his death, in 1891. In politics he was a Democrat in his earlier years, but the issues of the Civil war caused him to change and ever after he supported the Republican party. Through the greater part of his life he was an active member of the Reformed church, filling many of its offices, and was one of the most worthy citizens of the community.
The mother of our subject was born in Pennsylvania, about 1825, and was a daughter of Jacob Kline, also a native of Pennsylvania, of German origin, who was one of the prominent farmers of Northampton county, where he passed his whole life. The death of the mother was in July, 1899. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Keller numbered eleven, the four survivors being: Oliver, of this sketch; Jeremiah, a painter residing in Easton, Pennsylvania; Rev. Reuben, a Reformed minister residing in White Pigeon, Michigan; and Albert D., a professor in Heidelberg University at Tiffin, Ohio. Oliver J. Keller grew up in a moral and happy home. His education was pursued in the common schools. At the breaking out of the Civil war he offered his services to his country, enlisting on August 15, 1861, in Company C, Forty-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, and hence took part in these never-to-be-forgotten battles: Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Nashville and Franklin, and went through the Atlanta campaign, in fact took part in almost all of the important operations of that brave and gallant part of the Union army. At the battle of Stone River he was taken prisoner, on December 31, 1862, and was incarcerated in Castle Thunder and Libby prison for some thirty days. For the following five months he was on parole, his exchange taking place some time in May, when he returned to his command, finally receiving his discharge at Victoria, Texas, in the latter part of November, 1865, but did not reach home until on January 1, 1866.
After his return from the army Mr. Keller accepted a position as clerk in the mercantile establishment of A. Fry & Company, of Sulphur Springs, and remained in this capacity for two years, at the end of which period he purchased an interest in the business of J. H. Biddle & Company, of this place. Some years later the firm was merged into the firm of Scott & Keller, but several years afterward Mr, Keller sold his interest to his partner. Mr. A. J. Scott, and shortly after that purchased an interest in the business of Kloppenstein & Company. Some time later the interest of Mr. Kloppenstein was bought
3 is CEXTEXXIAL by C. A. Keller, who became a partner of our subject, and since that time the firm has been O. & G Keller. During the intervening years the industry and ability of these partners have resulted in the building up of an immense trade, and they are justly considered important factors in the mercantile business in Crawford county.
Mr. Keller is a stanch Republican, and has long been an active member of the Reformed church, holding many of the offices in it and supporting it liberally. Socially he is connected with the G. A. R. Mr. Keller is unmarried, but takes a prominent position in the social as well as business life of Sulphur Springs.
As printed in A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
O. J. KELLER, who is engaged in the mercantile business at Sulphur Springs, Craw'ford county, O., is one of the substantial citizens of Liberty township and is an honorable veteran of the great Civil War. He was born in Northampton county, Pa., in 1843, and is a son of Joseph and Lavina Keller. There were 11 children in the family, namely: O. J.; Jeremiah, who lives in Pennsylvania; Josiah, who is deceased; Reuben, who died at Lindsay, O., and who was a Reformed Lutheran minister; Mary Katherine, who is deceased; John IT. and Matilda, both of whom died young, and four who died in infancy.
O. J. Keller remained at home through his school period and afterward until the age of 18 years, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War, becoming a member of Co. C, 49th O. Vol. inf., under his cousin, Captain Keller, and Colonel Gibson, and served from Aug. 15, [861, until his honorable discharge in Texas, in November, 1863. Tie has a bright war record which proves that he was ever at his post of duty and participated in the hardships and dangers of his comrades on every occasion. He took part in the battles of Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga, Nashville, Missionary Ridge and the entire Atlanta campaign. At the battle of Stone River he was captured by the Confederates but was paroled six months afterwarti and later rejoined his regiment.
After his military service was over, Mr. Keller returned to Crawford county and embarked in the mercantile business at Sulphur Springs in which he has been engaged ever since. He has invested in village property and farm-land in the vicinity and has additional business interests. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and is held in high regard by his brother veterans. Mr. Keller is a life member of the Reformed church.
As printed in History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.