KEITZER FAMILY
JOHANNES AND ANNA KEUTZER JOSEPH AND HELENA PA(E)RSON(S) Grandfathers Family Grandmothers Family

MICHAEL AND HELENA KEUTZER

MOHLER

JOHN AND MATILDA  KEITZER


{sjt #1-7}Report of Bob Keitzer:  Born about May 2, 1847 in New Riegel, Ohio. Married Matilda Mohler. Died March 1877 in Monterey Indiana at the age of 29y, 9m.
{sjt#1-13}A typed letter from Mary Alice Dilts to Robert Kelsey Thomas:
Dear Roberta: ANCESTRY------FRANK KEITZER.....granddaughter, Maryalice Dilts Holloway-Susnjara................as of March 17, 1994.

Frank Keitzer, my grandfather, was born 1876, in Montery, Indiana and died in 1956. His father, John Keitzer, was on of the nine children born to Michael and Helena. John was born in March 1, 1847 and killed in 1877. (My grandfather, Frank was one year old.)

John Keitzer had two children, John and Frank. At the age of 30 years he was killed while working as a Saw Mill Supervisor. He was accidentally decapitated.

Johns widow, Matilda Mahler, widowed with two small babies, remarried to a man by the name of Miller. She had two children by this marriage, who were half-brother and half-sister to my Grandfather: Fred Miller and Jennie Miller Peters. Fred Married a lady by the name of Esther, and Jennie married bill Peters. All lived in Monterey all of their lives.

John Keitzer, oldest son of John and brother to Frank, married and lived in Logansport, In. where he owned and operated a grocery store. Wife's name was, Sadie. They had a son, John, Jr., and a daughter, Sarah Keitzer Cunningham; husband, Dr. Cunningham, Surgeon, practiced in South Bend., In. Johnny Keitzer operated a Convenient Store and a Drive-in in Logansport, In. called "Johnny's Place", for many years.

Younger brother of John was Frank, my grandfather. He married, Mary Elizabeth Keller. Their children were Gerald, Eileen, Janet, Claire and Paul. My mother was Janet Keitzer Dilts.

This branch of the Keitzer family were descendants of Michael and Helene Keitzer. John was one of nine children. Other members of this family were: Joseph, Ambrose, Margret, Augustus Henery, ???  [She misspelled Agustus and forgot Rosanna Keitzer Widman, Josephine Keitzer Follmar, and Helena Keitzer Huard.  -Roberta Thomas]

Henry Keitzer, grandfather to Roberta Kelsey Thomas, married Maryetta [should be Marietta -Robert Thomas] Freese. I remember my mother calling them Uncle Henry and Aunt Ettie. Their daughter, Augusta, (Gussie), was Roberta's mother. And also, the father to Charles Keitzer, the Banker. [Henry was Charle's father -SJT]

Phil Keller's mother was Dora Keitzer. her father was Ambrose??? Keitzer. Dora married Ed Keller. (Ed Keller is my uncle on my Mother's side since he is the brother of Mary E. (Mollie) Keller Keitzer. And Aunt Dorie is related on my Grandfather Keitzer's side since, her father was a brother to Frank's, (my grandfather) grandfather. (his father's father.)

Where does Willie Keitzer come in?......is his father Ambrose Keitzer? which would make him a brother to Dorie Keitzer Keller????

The BIG QUESTION?  How are Roberta Kelsey Thomas and Maryalice Dilts Holloway-Susnjara related?????

If Henry and John are brothers, then, Frank Keitzer and Gussie Keitzer Kelsey are first cousins. The Janet Keitzer Dilts is second cousin to Roberta Kelsey Thomas and Maryalice would be second cousin once-removed to Roberta. Or call it third cousin and Best Friends.

Please fill in the gaps, or make corrections. Love, [signed] Maryalice (Molly)

[This last part is in handwriting] P.S. I wrote to Phil Keller asking him for any info he has about his Mother's side of the Keitzers. Talk to you later: M

Hand writing by Roberta Kelsey Thomas on back of letter:
Facts:
- Grandpa Henery Keitzer was 29 1/2 yrs. when Augusta was born.
- John Keitzer was 9 yrs. older than Henry Keitzer.
- Frank Keitzer who married Mary Elizabeth (Molly) Keller was the son of John Keitzer.
- Henry and Marietta Freese Keitzer children:
Augusta (1886-1956) - Arthur Jonas Kelsey M.D. Monterey Indiana
     Paul 4/4/05
     Lawrence 2/6/07
     Bernard 1/21/09
     Mary Richter 8/15/10
     Catherine Hiland 10/26/12
     Charles 3/21/14
     Martha 1/23/17
     Edward 3/1/19
     Ruth 3/7/21
     William 9/6/22
     Roberta 8/31/24
Mildred    - George Fowble  - Hobart, Indiana
     Donald
     Edward - Killed WWII
Wilbert   - Ellen - Hammond, Indiana -- Owned Drug Store
     Daughter Rosemary (Sister Joseph Ellen)
Charles   - Lenore Bringham
Robert   - Ida Hjellum Keitzer
     Robert Jr.
     Carol Sue Carroll


{sjt#1-9}Notes of Roberta Kelsey Thomas: When John keitzer was killed at the age of 29 in the sawmill accident and left a widow named Matilda with 2 babies, John Keitzer and Frank Keitzer (age 1), Matilda married ??? Miller. They had 2 children: Fred Miller and Jennie Miller Peters. [Looks like this came directly from {sjt#1-13} above. -SJT]
{sjt#1-10}Notes of Roberta Kelsey Thomas: John Keitzer was father of Frank Keitzer whose wife was Molly Keller Keitzer. They had the children: Eileen-Gerald, Janet (married Charlie Dilts), Clara (married Zehner), Paul
http://www.fulco.lib.in.us/Tombaugh/Newspaper%20Excerpts/Html/Newspapers%201869-70.htm
MARRIAGE LICENSES issued by the clerk of Fulton county during the month of January, 1870:  John KEITZER to Matilda MOHLER
From Joyce Zoubul (May 2010):

My great grandfather was John Keitzer born March 1 1847 and was decapitated in a mill accident in 1877 leaving his wife Matilda with two children:

1) John Keitzer Jr. June 1 1870 - July 27, 1951
2) Frank 1876-1956

I have a picture of a Keitzer Bros store that says Groceries, Boots and Shoes, Dry Goods & Notions. The people in the picture are Frank, John, Jenny (their half sister), and two other unidentified people ( maybe the half brother, Fred). I assume this was in Monterey. The date is in the 1890s.

There is still a house in Monterey IN called the Keitzer House that is listed in the Historic landmarks Foundation of Indiana and in This Old House magazine. It is quite ornate and for sale for $14,000. I visited it last summer and it is really a lovely home on the exterior. The interior is not so great but it would be a terrific project for someone to buy it, move it, and restore it. The home was built by Michael and Helena Keitzer in 1867 although I did see a date of 1857 also. The home can be viewed under Keitzer House or THISOLDHOUSE.COM.

I am confused about the pictures in the Thomas-family.org/family tree and perhaps you can help me. There are pictures of Johannes Michael and Helena together on one page and on another page there is a picture of man with mushtache and beard named Johannas Michael. Perhaps the handsome clean-shaven man is Helena's son? Or an early pictue of him and a later one of her. I don't know about Mary Alice Dilts who says she is a great-grand daughter of John Keitzer. She is not related to any of us that I know of. So, I am wondering if the picture of John Keitzer really is John Keitzer, my great grandfather??
I do have a number of pictures of the Keitzers if anyone is interested.
- Joyce U. Zoubul


LINKS TO CHILDRENS FAMILIES

JOHN

Married and lived in Logansport, In. where he owned and operated a grocery store. Wife's name was, Carrie (aka Sadie). Johnny Keitzer operated a convenient Store and a Drive-in in Logansport, In. called "Johnny's Place", for many years. They had six children.

JOHN_AND_CARRIE KEITZER

FRANK

Was 1 year old when his dad died. Married Mary Elizabeth (molly) Keller. had 5 children: 1) Eileen(twin); 2) Gerald (twin); 3) Janet (married Dilts, had daughter Mary Alice who Roberta Kelsey Thomas played with as a child); 4) Claire (married Zehner); 5) Paul

Keitzer References:


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