Person:Joseph Keeler (2)

Someone on the Internet has connected a Joseph Jensen Keeler to this Joseph Keeler. It is wrong.

The son John Keeler's death certificate says Joseph was born in MI.

Fr

I do not know if your Joseph and my John are brothers but the data certainly does match. My John Keeler was born 20 Aug 1819 near Philadelphia, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania (parents unknown) died 14 Feb 1875 in Congress Twp., Wayne Co., Ohio . He married Hannah Matthews in Congress Twp, Wayne, Ohio 15 Jan 1843 whereas your Joseph was born in PA and married in the same place to Sarah Howman. I don't know John's parents, but the two certainly seem like brothers.

No birth records were found for any of Joseph and Sarah's children. This means nothing, as birth reporting was not mandated in Ingham County until 1867.

A governmental land patent was issued to a Joseph Keeler, Senior, of Crawford County (Grayling area) February 15, 1875. It is not clear if this is the correct family - a copy of the record is included.

There is a marriage recorded for Joseph Keeler to Sarah Hommon 7 Mar 1839 in Wayne County, Ohio. This is proven correct.

The child Sarah shown on the 1870 census with this family is not the daughter Sarah - she would be a grandchild... probably son John's with wife Rebecca.

From Cathy (Box) Morse

My father's grandmother was Sarah Ulyssa (Keeler) Box. I have a history of the Box family typed by Sarah's husband Hosea and only a brief handwritten document on the Keeler's written by Sarah's daughter-in-law for my dad.

This is what the handwritten document on the Keeler's states:

Keeler Family--Grandma Box Family Joseph Keeler married to Sarah Hammond Their children were:

Andrew married Olive Laycock Joseph married Libbie John--Grandma Box's father Mary Ann married Charles Barnes Elizabeth married Jacob Hase Sarah Ann married John Kennedy

John Hamilton Keeler was married 3 times. Had a child from each marriage. Married Rebecca Fisher their child was Sarah Ulyssa (your grandmother). (Rebecca Fisher's father was Samuel Fisher. Her mother was Ulyssa Morse, a sister of Samuel Morse inventor of Morse Code. The Fishers lived in Titisville, Penn. where the first oil well was discovered Aug. 27, 1859 in U.S.A. They owned some of stock.)

Married to don't know but had one son George

Married to Margaret Templer one son Floyd

Ann, I know that according to your document some of the above is correct as far as the children of Joseph and Sarah Keeler. The spelling of Joseph's wife Sarah is different from yours and Lovinia was not on the list of children.

I do know that John's second wife was Sarah H. Keeler from Genealogical Death Indexing of Michigan and her tombstone which reads: Sarah H. wife of John Keeler.

At the Leek cemetary I found a Keeler monument with 4 headstones: Margarget 1847-1915, Sarah H. 7-12-1872, 36 yrs. 8 mo., 8 days, the Keeler monument, Rebecca M. 11-16-1868 25 yrs. 8 mos., John Keeler. John was buried by his three wives and next to Rebecca M. Keeler.

I also found the graves of Joseph and Sarah Keeler and next to them is a tombstone which reads: Lovinia Daughter Joseph and Sarah Keeler died May 20, 1862 Aged 9 years, 1 mo., 16 days

The Keeler document that I have states the Rebecca Fisher's mother was the sister to Samuel Morse. I have not been able to verify that.

And last, I have attached some pictures from a photo alblum of Sarah and Hosea Box that we have been unable to identify. Do you know any of the people in the photos?

I don't know anyone in number 1_1.jpg

In number 2_1.jpg I know the following: front row: Box children--Harry, Grace, Clare, Gertrude 2nd row: 5th man from the left is Hosea Box. The woman standing directly behind him is Sarah U. (Keeler) Box. In the back row is one of Sarah's sons Wilbur (Burr) and daughter Ann.

And more from Cathy

Sounds like we are the same generation of Keeler ancestors since John Keeler is my great-great-grandfather.

I did find the tombstones in the old part of the cemetery, corner of Sandhill and Dobie Road, the west side by the little white building. If you are traveling north on Dobie Rd. the Keeler monument for John, Rebecca, Margaret, and Sarah are on the west side, or left side, of the road. The Keeler monument can be seen from the road. Joseph, Sarah, and Lovinia are further back on the old side nearer the trees in the back, and closer to Sandhill than John's monument is. I haven't been in the new part yet.

Funny thing is, when I went home and told my mom that you had info. saying the Keeler's were buried in Leek Cemetery, my mom said, "Well I knew that. Your dad's aunt (Sarah and Hosea Box's daughter) pointed that out to me years ago." Amazing how little info. people offer until I bring something up. AUGH!!

I too have been interested in this genealogy stuff for about 25 years. I started researching my husband's side in April of this year and my dad said, "What are you doing that for, I have all the Box records right here." And he pulled out an old manila envelope with all these typed pages of Box family history and genealogy charts along with the handwritten info. on the Keelers. He had another plastic bag full of old family photos from the Box side--most of which were not identified. He talks about Sarah Keeler Box, but he remembers her husband Hosea because Sarah died in 1925 before dad was born. We have several pictures of Sarah and Hosea and their children.

As far as the Keelers, what I have sent is about all I know. Sarah and Hosea are buried in Maple Ridge Cemetery in Holt, off Willoughby Road. As you go by the cemetery you can see a large Box monument from the road at the top of a hill near the entrance.

When I go home to-night I will ask my dad if he knows anything else about the Keelers. Also, the woman who wrote the info. I have on the Keelers was Elsa Box. She married Sarah and Hosea's son Harry. Harry and Elsa have a daughter Shirley who lives in Grand Rapids. Elsa and Shirley were into geneology BIG TIME. They have shared Box info. with people all over the U.S. some of whom I have recently met over the internet!

Also, just because I have one, attached is [a photo of] Sarah Keeler and Hosea Box.

1816: A Year Without A Summer

No subject in the weather history of New England arouses so much interest today as does the Summer of 1816. Was there actually "a year without a summer," when "no month passed without a frost, nor one without snow," and when "no crops at all were produced"? This account, taken from The Vermont Weather Book by David M. Ludlum, uses the records kept by individuals during this period.

Melancholy Weather "Some account was given . . . of the unparalleled severity of the weather. It continued, without any essential amelioration, from the 6th to the 10th instant -- freezing as hard five nights in succession as it usually does in December. On the night of the 6th, water froze an inch thick -- and on the night of the 7th and morning of the 8th, a kind of sleet or exceeding cold snow fell, attended with high wind, which measured in places where it was drifted, 18 to 20 inches in depth. Saturday morning the weather was more severe than it generally is during the storms of winter.

-- North Star, Danville, VT, June 15, 1816 Source: David M. Ludlum, The Vermont Weather Book, Vermont Historical Society, Montpelier, VT: 1996.

1. ↑ Vital Records - Miscellaneous Sources
   Daughter Mary Ann's Death Certificate.
2. ↑ Researcher.

   Cathy Box Morse