This story has segments for:
- Franz Peter Keller
- Eduard Keller
- Eduard Adolphus Keller
- Clara Katharine Keller, and
- Frank Keller
The earliest member of the Keller family is Franz Peter Keller. He marries Catharinam Antoni. They have four children, Eduard, Heinrich (Harry), and one daughter, Regina. Their son, Eduard Keller marries Christina Weindorf. They have four children, Anna Maria, Clara Katherine, Frank Henry and Eduard Adorphus. Clara Keller marries John William Wright. Their daughter, Elizabeth Keller Wright marries Walter Lee Kauffman 2nd.
Franz Peter Keller was the patriarch of the Keller Family. He was born in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany on Jan 8, 1816.
One source has him fighting under Napoleon however, he was not born early enough to have been involved in the Napoleonic Wars which ended in 1815. He married Catharinam Elisabetham Antoni or Catherina Anthony (1816-1856). They had two sons, Eduard Keller who was born in Bayern, Germany in 1845 and died in Erie in 1919 and Heinrich Kellar who was born in Erie in 1849 and died in 1924. They also had a daughter, Regina who died when born in 1847.
Franz and Catherina arrived in the US in 1847.
Franz was naturalized in NYC in 1859.
Franz became a citizen in 1863.
Franz and Catharine are shown as living in Erie in the 1860 census.
Franz fought in the civil war enlisting twice, starting as a private and ending as a corporal. He was with the 45th Regiment of the Pennsylvania 159th.
The 45th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized beginning July 28, 1861 and mustered in October 21, 1861 at Camp Curtin in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for a three-year enlistment under the command of Colonel Thomas Welsh.[1]
The regiment was attached to Jamison’s Brigade, Heintzelman’s Division, Army of the Potomac, to October 1861. Unattached, Sherman’s South Carolina Expeditionary Corps, to April 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Department of the South, to July 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac, to September 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April 1863, and Army of the Ohio to June 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, IX Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to August 1863, and Army of the Ohio to April 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, IX Corps, Army of the Potomac, to July 1865.
The 45th Pennsylvania Infantry mustered out July 17, 1865.
In 1870 Franz is shown in Belleville, NJ working as a farm worker. In 1880, he is shown as a farmer, still in NJ. He is also shown as living in Erie in the 1880 census with no occupation.
Franz is shown as living with his son Eduard and grand childen, Clara, Eduard, and Frank Keller in the city directory in Erie.
Catherina dies in 1888 at age 40. Franz died on Jan 5, 1894 in Erie, PA at age 76. Both are buried in Trinity Cemetery. One source cites suicide.
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Eduard Keller was the first born child of Franz Peter Keller and Catharina Antoni. He was born on September 16, 1845 in Bayern, Germany. His sister Regena died in childbirth. His brother, Harry Keller was born on 1849 in Erie PA and is the subject of another blog. Eduard arrived in the US in 1847 with his parents.
Eduard served in the navy during the civil war on the USS Burnside as a gunner.
Eduard marries Christina Weindorf in 1868. See the blog on The Weindorf family.
Eduard is listed in the census as a furniture finisher. They have four children. Anna Mamie Maria Buck Keller, born in 1868, Clara Katherine, born 1872, our grandmother, Frank Henry Keller, born 1876 and dies in 1940. And Edward Adolphus Keller, born 1878 and died in 1949.
Christina dies in 1896. He lives with his daughter Clara after her marriage to John Wright in 1900. Clara gives birth to Elizabeth Keller Wright in 1905. Clara dies in 1911. Eduard goes to California along with his granddaughter, Elizabeth in 1912. He dies in April of 1919. One record shows his death in Los Angeles, which should be true as his brother, Harry Keller lives there and after the death of Clara Keller, our mother, Elizabeth Keller Wright goes to California to live with Harry Keller.
Eduard and Christina are buried at the Lakeside Cemetery.
Eduard Adolphus Keller
Harry Keller, the subject of another blog, is the brother of Eduard, becomes famous in the magic industry. Eduard is buried in Lakeside Cemetery in Erie, PA along side his wife, Christina.
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Clara Katherine Keller
Clara Keller was the second child of Eduard Keller and Christine Weindorf, born in 1872. She grows up in Erie, PA. She has two younger brothers, Frank, four years younger and Eduard, six years younger.
Clara marries John Wright on 15 October 1900.
They have two children. Eduard Keller Wright was born on October 8, 1902. He died seven days later.
Elizabeth Keller Wright was born on October 31, 1905.
The Wrights are shown as living at 129 West 8th Street in 1907.
In the 1910 census, John and Clara Wright, Elizabeth Wright and Clara’s father, Eduard Keller are shown as living together. Eduard’s wife, Christine Weindorf Keller died in 1896.
Clara dies on November 4, 1911 of pneumonia. It is alleged that John Wright, a doctor and believer of fresh air as a cure, and kept the house open.
Elizabeth is sent to live in California with Harry Keller, along with her grandfather, Eduard.
John Wright marries Katherine Law Wright on January 1, 1913.
Frank Keller
54 History of Erie County
Frank H. Keller ranks among the leading citizens and successful busi-
ness men of Erie County. He is proprietor of the Keller Motion Picture
Theatre at North East. Mr. Keller is a native of Erie, born April 4, 1876,
and the son of Edward and Christina (Wiendorf) Keller.
Edward Keller was born in Germany, Sept. 14, 1845, and his wife was
born at Black Rock, N. Y., Sept. 11, 1845. He came to this country with
his parents when a small child. He was a brother of the famous magician,
Harry Kellar, and traveled throughout the world on various tours with
him. Mr. Keller died April 1, 1920, and his wife died April 11, 1895.
They are buried in Lakeside cemetery, Erie. To Mr. and Mrs. Keller
the following children were born: Mary, born Aug. 14, 1868, married M. V. Buck, of London, Ont., and they live retired in Los Angeles, Cal. ;
F. H., the subject of this sketch ; E. A., born July 2, 1878, married Mamie Keough of Boston, Mass., deceased, and he lives in Los Angeles, Cal., and has two children, Helen and Clara Keller; and Clara Catherine, born April 2, 1872, died Nov. 11, 1911, was the wife of Dr. John W. Wright of Erie, and the mother of Elizabeth Keller Wright, a student at Simmons College, Boston.
F. H. Keller was reared and educated in Erie and when a young man
learned the printer’s trade at which he was successfully engaged for 21 years. He was the organizer of the “AKD” Company, which is the
largest printing establishment in Erie, and which Mr. Keller disposed of in 1924. On Feb. 14, 1922, he purchased the Chickquitty Theatre at
North East, which is now known as the Keller Theatre.
In 1900 Mr. Keller was married to Miss Margaret E. White, a native
of Ireland, born Feb. 14, 1876. They have a daughter, Katherine M.,
born May 3, 1901. She was married in 1922 to James K. Blakely of Erie, and they have a son, Harry Kellar Blakely, born July 11, 1924.
Mr. and Mrs. Keller are well known in Erie County. She is a mem-
ber of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Erie.
Family Trees
Noble Tree
Davis Tree
Bleakley Tree