George Fredrick Keil (1863 - 1939)

Born 24 Dec 1863 in Adams County, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Johanna Wilhelmina Florentine (Heitholt) Keil — married 7 Sep 1890 in Adams, Illinois, United States

Husband of Christina (Bluemler) Keil — married after 1898 in Adams, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died 21 Feb 1939 at age 75 in Quincy, Adams, Illinois, United States

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Biography

"George Keil. The rich farming community of Fall Creek Township has known three George Keils. It is an old and noteworthy family. They have been among the most substantial people of that locality, have cleared and improved the land and proved their worth as citizens at every point.

The George Keil under present consideration owns the old Keil homestead in Fall Creek Township, eleven miles southeast of Quincy. On that farm he was born December 24, 1863.

His grandparents were George B. and Louise Keil. The former was born in Frankisch Grumbach, Hesse-Darmstadt, November 19, 1808, and died April 23, 1892. His wife, Louise, was born September 27, 1818, in Lippe-Detmold, and died February 14, 1869. These dates are found on the headstones in the Bluff Hall Cemetery, where both were laid to rest.

A son of these parents was George Keil, Jr., as he was known. He died at the early age of forty-five. He married Margaret Speekhart, and they were married on the farm where their son George was born and where he now lives. Margaret Keil is still living, residing among her children.

Mr. George Keil owns 260 acres of his father's home, and has added eighty acres of adjoining land ; also owns eighty acres a mile east, and has a 120-acre farm in Payson Township, with twenty-four acres of standing timber. All this land is used for general farming.

While Mr. George Keil is one of the successful farmers and progressive citizens of this locality, his home place is partly by preference and partly by accident somewhat remote and it does not indicate to the passer by its real value. The residence stands half a mile back from the country road and is not visible until close at hand. The approach is through pasture and over ditches. There is still another point of approach, through a picturesque gorge, whose overhanging rocky sides threaten the traveler, and whose bed at times roars with the torrent flood.

Mr. Keil is a democrat, as was his father, and served as road supervisor one or two years.

At the age of twenty-seven he married Hannah Heitholt. She was a widow at the time, and her children by her first husband were Fred, George and Emma Wollbriuk. Mr. and Mrs. Keil had one daughter, Anna, wife of Heniy Althoff, and they live on her father's Payson Township farm. For his second wife Mr. Keil married Christina Blumer. They have three children, Elizabeth, Wilma and George.

The family attend the Bluff Hall Congregational Church. Mr. Keil's home was built by his father almost a room at a time. His father at the time of his marriage had two rooms of logs, and these were added to from time to time. The land originally was covered with heavy timber, and in the process of clearing much of it was burned and went to waste."^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ David Wilcox, "Quincy and Adams County History and Representative Men", Chicago: Lewis Publishing, 1919, page 1043."

• Year: 1880; Census Place: Fall Creek, Adams, Illinois; Roll: 174; Page: 122B; Enumeration District: 008
• Illinois, Compiled Marriages, 1851-1900 Name: George F Keil Gender: Male Spouse Name: Mrs Hannah F Wollbrink Marriage Date: 7 Sep 1890 Marriage County: Adams Comments: This record can be found at the County Court Records, Film # 1845384 -1845385.
• Year: 1910; Census Place: Fall Creek, Adams, Illinois; Roll: T624_229; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0010; FHL microfilm: 1374242
• Year: 1920; Census Place: Fall Creek, Adams, Illinois; Roll: T625_296; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 10
• Year: 1930; Census Place: Fall Creek, Adams, Illinois; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0011; FHL microfilm: 2340140
• Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947 Name: George Fredrick Keil Sr. Birth Date: 24 Dec 1863 Birth Place: Fall Creek, Ill Death Date: 21 Feb 1939 Death Place: Quincy, Adams, Ill Burial Date: 24 Feb 1939 Burial Place: Fall Creek, Adams, Ill. Death Age: 75 Occupation: Grain/Stock Farmer Race: White Marital status: M Gender: Male Residence: Fall Creek, Ill. Father Name: Geo. F. Keil Father Birth Place: Germany Mother Name: Margaret Speckland Mother Birth Place: Fall Creek, Ill. Spouse Name: Christiena Keil FHL Film Number: 1819605
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 15 July 2019), memorial page for George F. Keil (1863–1939), Find A Grave Memorial no. 132202763, citing Bluff Hall Cemetery, Fall Creek, Adams County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by mlmann61 (contributor 47787791) . (Buried beside Christina)