William Henry Keller, the son of David and Cynthia (Ellis) Keller, was born on the farm in Green township, this county, where he now resides, in 1856. His parents were natives of Greenbrier county, West Virginia.

Philip Keller and wife, the parents of David, were natives of West Virginia and came to Madison county, Indiana, at a very early day. Here Mr. Keller engaged in farming and became the possessor of eight hundred acres of land. He and Mrs. Keller made this their home, and here they lived and died. The parents of Mrs. Keller were also natives of West Virginia, where they spent their lives.

David Keller received his education in the schools of West Virginia, where he grew to manhood and engaged in farming. He was married in his native state and was the father of two children before he came to the new location in the western state. Some time before his father decided to come to Indiana, David left his Virginia home and settled in Green township, where he pre-empted sixty acres, where the son, William, now lives. The county was a dense forest, and the land taken by Mr. Keller was a virgin woods. He cleared a small tract and erected a cabin, which was the first home of the family in the new location. In time a new frame house was built near the location of the old one. The farm was improved and developed. Before the death of himself and wife he had accumulated over eight hundred acres, all of which he gave to this seven children before his death, with the exception of some one hundred and sixty acres.

William Henry Keller received his education in the schools of Hancock county. Soon after completing his education he engaged in farming and has made that his life work. He is engaged in general farming on his four hundred and twenty acres of land. The farm is well improved, the present modern and convenient buildings having been erected by Mr. Keller within recent years.

William H. Keller was united in marriage to Rena Johnson and to this union the following children have been born: Arnold, James, Carrie, Clarence and Cora. Mr. Keller and his family are members of the United Brethren church.

Transcribed from History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman, B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Pages 1138-1139.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI November 28, 2001.

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