KEELING-Christopher - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Christopher KEELING, farmer, Veedersburg. James Keeling, father of the subject of this sketch, was born and reared in Virginia, where he was married and from which place he shortly after emigrated to Ohio, where he remained for some time, then came to Fountain county, settling in 1828, two miles south of where Veedersburg now stands. Remaining there two years, he purchased forty acres on the present site of Veedersburg, which he improved and occupied till his death, which occurred in 1847, in his seventy-sixth year. His favorite occupation was that of school teaching, which he followed in all about thirty years. Many are the memories of the good deeds and kind instructions of this pioneer teacher retained by many of the now old people of this county, who were then boys and girls. He raised a family of eleven children, seven boys and four girls, all of whom are dead, but Nancy, Margaret, Eliza, Jemima, and Christopher. James Keeling’s father emigrated to America prior to the war of the revolution. James served in the war of the revolution, though a mere boy. His wife’s people were originally from Wales. Christopher Keeling was born in Virginia in 1811, and came to Fountain county with his parents. He was married in 1831, to Sarah Martin, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Kitner) Martin, both natives of Virginia; they first emigrated to Ohio, where they remained three years, the to Fountain county in 1830, where they both died. William Martin served in the war of 1812. Mr. C., by this marriage had ten children, two of whom are living, William R. and John R. Mr. Keeling was educated in the common school by his father principally. His success as a business man is more than ordinary. He owns 500 acres of fine land in Fountain county, and a large part of the town of Veedersburg. In politics he is a republican.