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Michael Leonhard Keller
Born May 13, 1813 Gammesfeld, Württemberg, Germany
Died Oct 5, 1893 Kellerton Farm near Hazel SD
Emigrated Aug 1838 to Philadelphia PA

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Father

SPOUSE	CHILDREN
Rosina M. Haag m. Feb 8, 1847 b. Oct 9, 1826 Germany d. Apr 4, 1905	Catherine (Katherine) b. Mar 26, 1849 Jefferson Co WI d. Mar 6, 1911 Kellerton, Hamlin Co SD	George John b. Dec 10, 1850 Jefferson Co WI d. Apr 11, 1942 IL	Rosina b. Dec 24, 1853 Jefferson Co WI d. Mar 18, 1883
	John b. Apr 18, 1855 Jefferson Co WI d. Oct 9, 1911	Anna b. May 10, 1859 Jefferson Co WI d. Jan 5, 1873	Charles W. b. Mar 10, 1862 Jefferson Co WI d. Jul 13, 1938
	Mary b. Nov 3, 1863 Jefferson Co WI d. Apr 5, 1899
The town of Gammesfeld was 28 miles from the district headquarters (or seat) of Gerabronn in the territory of Württemberg.
Michael emigrated to Philadelphia in Aug 1838 and spent seven years as a blacksmith in New York and Ohio. He went back to Germany for a year, then farmed in Jefferson Co. WI.
Michael was granted U.S. Citizenship on Mar 19, 1855. According to his Application Documents, as of Mar 1849, he had been living in the U.S. for at least five years and in Wisconsin for at least a year.
Son George married Anna Robish in 1875. He received his license to preach in Evangelical churches in 1881. The next year he moved to the site of the present Kellerton Church in Hamlin Co. SD with his brother Charles. He set up a store and a post office that was identified as Kellerton. In 1889, Michael moved to Hamlin Co. from Wisconsin to join his sons. With the Robish family, the Kellers formed the nucleus of a church congregation that grew to become part of the Dakota Conference of the Evangelical Association.
There was no church building until 1898, when George Keller donated land for the building. Kellerton Church is the oldest continuously used Evangelical Association/United Methodist Church building in South Dakota.
Kellerton United Methodist Church. Photograph from book commemorating the Centennial (1893-1983) of the church.
History of these German immigrants, an excerpt from Family Social History, Term paper for Kenyon College course on Immigration by George N. Holloway.
Two Photos of the Quilt that turned up in 2003 in a home on the other side of the state from Kellerton, but appears to be connected to the church based on the names that are embroidered on it. Although some names are hard to read or are spelled differently, the surname Keller appears more than any other. The names of all of Michael's children appear to be on the quilt.
Daughter Rosina married Louis J. Wolfmeyer, who moved to South Dakota, remarried and homesteaded the farm that would later be bought by Edward and Rosa Feind.
Kellerton Homestead House in 2003.
Framed Aerial Photograph of the Kellerton homestead farm.
Sources: Dunn, Steve, Keller accounts in Hamlin County, 1878-1979, Hamlin Historical Committee, Hamlin Co., SD. Feind, Alice, ed., "History" in Kellerton United Meethodist Church, 90th Anniversary, 1883-1983, Hamlin Co. SD, 1983. Haag, H. Arthur, Historical Sketch and Genealogy of the John Adam Haag Family, privately printed for the author. Hogstad, Marlys, Hamlin County, SD - Kellerton Zion Cemetery record list, USGenWeb Archives. Jefferson County WI, 1850 Census. Rapid City Journal, Dec 2, 2003, article by Jomay Steen. Robish, John George, account in Memorial and biographical record... South Dakota, A. Ogle, Chicago, 1898, p. 765. Tape Recording of Conversation between Ernest, Alice and Walter Feind, and L. M. Holloway, Philadelphia PA, Jan 1977. U.S. Census, 1900. U.S. Citizenship Application of Michael Keller, 1855.