Keller, Andrew Joseph

Andrew Joseph KELLER (? - bef. 1880) and Phebe BENTLY (1816 - aft. 1900)

my 3g-grandparents

(Andrew) Joseph KELLER and Phebe BENTLEY, were married on 12 Apr 1837 in Lincoln County, NC, according to North Carolina Marriage Records. The bondsman was Aquiller KELLER. The record also indicates that Joseph signed with a mark.

Joseph and Phebe were the parents of my gg-grandmother, Sarah Anne (KELLER) FISHER. See the David FISHER page.

Not much is known about their births and deaths. The 1880 US Census (below) has Phebe living with her daughter Lucy and family, in Elmore Twp, Daviess County, IN. She was a widow, so Andrew died before 16 Jun 1880, and Phebe lived past that date. Phebe was 65, hence born about 1814 or 1815, in NC. The census also tells us that her parents were both born in NC. Also, Lucy's parents were born in NC, so that applies to Andrew. The 1900 Census has Phebe in the Chickasaw Nation, with her son James. It says she was born in Sep 1816, in NC.

Andrew and Phebe had 5 children: Sarah Anne (1838), Hannah Jane "Lucy" (1848), James Harvey (1849), Edward (1851) and William H (1857), when she was about 23, 33, 34, 38 and 42. It's unusual to have such a large gap, but I suppose it's possible. The first child was born in Lincoln, Lincoln, NC and the other three in IN. I will try to give evidence for each of the five.

Several records for the five children mention the names of the parents. The father is usually Joseph, sometimes Andrew J, and the mother is Phebe, so Andrew J is clearly Andrew Joseph. See below.

Joseph and Phebe were in IN by 1848, and at least Phebe was still there in 1880, but I have not found them in any census before 1880. This is very unusual, as census data is a primary source of data on most American families in the 19th Century.

Possible parents of Joseph and Phebe

Michael KELLER married Barbary BAKER on 18 Oct 1810 in Burke County, NC. They removed to Washington County, IN by 1830. Several researchers have identified them as the parents of Andrew Joseph KELLER. It's worth investigating!

Moses BENTLY and Mary Ann LORRANCE are said to have been the parents of Phebe BENTLY. I haven't seen any evidence. However, 27 of my close matches on AncestryDNA trace their ancestry back to Moses and Mary Ann, including 8 from children other than Phebe. Also see section on DNA evidence, near the bottom of this page.

Descendants of Andrew Joseph KELLER and Phoebe BENTLY

Summary. Joseph and Phebe had 5 children, for whom I have found some evidence. There may be more, It is strange to have a 10-year gap between consecutive siblings. Sarah, the oldest of the 5, was married 4 times, and lived in IN, MO, IL and AR. Lucy and her husband were still living in Daviess County, IN in 1880, but I don't know where they went after that. James was a merchant and farmer in OK by 1900, and moved several times in OK and NM. Edward was still in Daviess County, IN in 1880, but eventually went to OK. William, youngest of the 5, moved around quite a bit, in IL, IN, MO, AR, and OK, eventually settling in Antlers, Pushmataha, OK.

1 Andrew Joseph KELLER b: NC, d: Bef. 1880

+ Phebe BENTLEY b: Abt. 1815 in NC, m: 12 Apr 1837 in Lincoln, NC, d: Aft. 1880

......2 Sarah Anne KELLER b: 26 Feb 1838 in Lincoln, Lincoln, NC, d: 02 Nov 1923 in Poplar Bluff, Butler, MO

...... + David Alexander FISHER b: 1837 in Martin, IN, m: 29 Jan 1857 in Martin, IN, d: 18 Dec 1862 in Danville, KY

...... + Thomas J. MITCHELL b: 05 Mar 1813 in Washington, IN, m: 09 Mar 1864 in Dover Hill, Martin, IN, d: 1881 in Manila, Mississippi, AR

...... + James WESTMORELAND b: 09 Sep 1845 in TN, m: 19 Nov 1889, d: 29 Mar 1920 in Carroll, AR

...... + Alfred Marion HALFORD b: 09 Sep 1831 in Gibson, TN, m: 26 Sep 1908 in Logan, AR, d: 30 Jun 1915 in Cauthron, Logan AR

......2 Hannah Jane "Lucy" KELLER b: 1848 in IN, d: aft. 1880

...... + William LEDBETTER b: 1840 in TN, m: 14 Jan 1866 in Daviess, IN, d: aft. 1880

......2 James Harvey KELLER b: Jul 1849 in IN, d: 1932 in OK

...... + Joanna Temperance "Annie" FRITZLAND, b: Oct 1851 in TN or KY, m: 19 Jan 1880 in Barton, MO, d: 1939 in OK

......2 Edward KELLER b: 23 Apr 1851 in IN, d: 15 May 1926 in Lone Star, Wagoner, OK

...... + Nancy A. FRANKLIN m: 30 Aug 1872 in Daviess, IN

...... + Margaret A. WOODSMALL b: 1857 in IN, m: 08 Aug 1877 in Washington, IN

......2 William H. KELLER b: 23 Jun 1857 in IN, d: 27 Dec 1950

...... + Lamira Ellen "Maude" LIMAN b: 17 Nov 1860 in IL, m: 15 Jun 1878 in Richland, IL, d: 19 Mar 1932

1. Sarah Anne KELLER was born 26 Feb 1838 in Lincoln, Lincoln, NC, and died 02 Nov 1923 in Poplar Bluff, Butler, MO, age 85. She married (1) on 29 Jan 1857 in Martin, IN, to David Alexander FISHER, born 1837 in Martin, IN, died 3 Oct 1862 in Danville, KY, a casualty of the American Civil War. She married 3 more times. The documentation related to her claim to David's pension has been a rich source of genealogical information.

Evidence connecting Sarah to Andrew and Phebe.

As described on the David FISHER page, the first evidence comes from the documentation of Sarah's pension claim, [WCF]. She names her parents as Joseph and Phebe KELLER, and says she was born on 26 Feb 1838, in Lincoln Township, Lincoln County, NC.

Another document from the Bureau of Pensions says "Phebe and Andrew J. Keller, Jane 30, 1866, Jnt-aff., present soon after birth of Phebe A Fisher daut of David A Fisher and Sarah A Fisher on Dec 18, 1861."

So I conclude that Sarah's parents, Andrew Joseph and Phebe KELLER, were in Martin County, IN, where their granddaughter Phebe A. FISHER was born, soon after 18 Dec 1861. They (or at least Phebe) must also have been in Lincoln Township, Lincoln County, NC on 26 Feb 1838, when Sarah was born.

Sarah Anne KELLER and David Alexander FISHER were my gg-grandparents. See the David FISHER page.

2. Hannah Jane "Lucy" KELLER was born about 1848 in IN. She married on 14 Jan 1866 in Daviess, IN, to William LEDBETTER, born about 1840 in TN.

Indiana Marriage Records has a marriage between Hannah Jane KELLER and William LEDBETTER, on 14 Jan 1866, in Daviess County, IN. The parents are not named. However, William LEDBETTER appears in the 1880 US Census for Daviess County, with a mother-in-law Phebe KELLER, age 65, born in NC.

The LEDBETTER household in 1870 is in Daviess County, IN. Hannah Jane is known as Lucy J. She is 22, so she was 17 or 18 when she was married. They are both illiterate, and don't own any land. If this Lucy J is the daughter of Andrew and Phebe, it would imply that they were in IN by 1848.

The LEDBETTER household in 1880. Lucy must be a nickname for Hannah Jane. James is marked as disabled, and all the adults are marked as illiterate. Phoebe is 65, so she was born in 1814 or 1815, and died after 16 Jun 1880. She is a widow, so Andrew died before 16 Jun 1880. This census also tells us that Hannah Jane "Lucy" (KELLER) LEDNETTER's parents, who were Andrew Joseph KELLER and Phebe BENTLY, were both born in NC. Lucy was born about 1853 in IN, which must be a mistake, if she was married in 1866.

I haven't found Lucy and William after 1880. They only had one known child.

Note that James LEDBETTER was married in Marion County, AR, in 1898, where his Aunt Sarah Ann (KELLER) MITCHELL and some of her grown children lived, from 1890 to at least 1905.

1 Hannah Jane "Lucy" KELLER b: 1853 in IN, d: aft. 1880

+ William LEDBETTER b: 1840 in TN, m: 14 Jan 1866 in Daviess, IN, d: aft. 1880

......2 James LEDBETTER b: May 1867 in IN

...... + Maggie RODGERS b: Sep 1866 in AR, m: 20 Nov 1898 in Marion, AR

3. James Harvey KELLER is a possible son of Joseph and Phebe. The evidence is not conclusive. Of course there were many James KELLERs, and it's not easy to connect the dots.

One James H. KELLER married Elizabeth POTTER in Martin County, IN. It appears that the marriage registration was on 16 Sep 1869, and the marriage itself took place 3 days later, on 19 Sep 1869. Recall that Sarah Ann (KELLER) FISHER lived in Martin County at that time. See the David FISHER page.

James and Elizabeth had at least one child, Elijah D. KELLER, born 11 Feb 1872 in Davis [must be Daviess] County, IN. Recall that our KELLER family lived in Daviess County.

Another James H. KELLER married Joanna FRITZLAN or FRITZLAND on 19 Jan 1880, in Barton County, MO.

Another source for information is a birth certificate for Herbert Cephas KELLER, born 4 Jul 1887 in Rocky Comfort, Little River County, AR. This document gives birth information on the parents. The father was James Harvey KELLER, born in Plainsville, IN, age 38, so he was born about 1849. The mother was Joanna Temperance FRITZLAND, born in Lexington, KY, age 36, so she was born about 1851.

I think "Plainsville" should be Plainville, Daviess County, IN. Again, our KELLER family lived in Daviess County.

The family is found in the 1900 US Census, in District 0122, Township 1S 6E, Connerville, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory (Oklahoma). The transcriber at Ancestry has made several mistakes. My transcription is below.

The James H. KELLER family in the census record above matches the family from IN and AR. Joanna is Annie. Herbert was born in Jul 1887, matching the birth certificate above. James' mother is Phoebi? (the last letter is unclear). She was born in Sep 1816 in NC, and her parents were also born in NC, consistent with other records. James and Annie had been married 20 years, consistent with the marriage record, above. Annie had 6 children, with 4 still living, presumably the 4 listed. All were able to read and write,

Now we have a little more information about Pbebe (BENTLY) KELLER. She was born in Sep 1816 in NC, and was still living in 1900, in the Chickasaw Nation.

The birth dates of 1849 and 1851 match the grave markers for James H and Joanna KELLER in the Sappington Chapel Cemetery, Cowden, Washita County, OK. Thus James died in 1932 and Joanna in 1939.

4. Edward KELLER was born 23 Apr 1851 in IN, and died 15 May 1926 in Lone Star, Wagoner, OK. He married (1) on 30 Aug 1872 in Daviess, IN to Nancy A. FRANKLIN. He married (2) on 08 Aug 1877 in Washington, IN, to Margaret A. WOODSMALL, born 1857 in IN.

The death certificate for Edward KELLAR names his parents Joseph KELLAR and Phebe BENTLEY. This establishes his birth and death dates and places. He was a carpenter, and died at age 75, of heart disease.

There were several Edward KELLERs. The one found in the 1880 US Census, below, is probably the right one, as his family is listed on the same page as Lucy (KELLER) LEDBETTER. (See the previous section.)

1 Edward KELLER b: 23 Apr 1851 in IN, d: 15 May 1926 in Lone Star, Wagoner, OK

+ Nancy A. FRANKLIN m: 30 Aug 1872 in Daviess, IN

......2 Mary A. E. KELLER b: 1875 in IN

+ Margaret A. WOODSMALL b: 1857 in IN, m: 08 Aug 1877 in Washington, IN

......2 Ora Bell KELLER b: 29 Nov 1878 in Elmore, IN, d: 23 Feb 1953 in Muncie, Delaware, IN

...... + Clarence Arthur RHONEMUS b: 15 Mar 1876 in Springfield, Gallia, OH, m: 16 Oct 1900 in Anderson, Madison, IN, d: 1942

5. William H. KELLER was born on 23 Jun 1857 in IN, died 27 Dec 1950, probably in Antlers, Pushmataha, OK. He married on 15 Jun 1878 in Richland, IL, to Lamina LIMAN, born 17 Nov 1860, died 19 Mar 1932. (Her first and last names were spelled many different ways!)

Illinois Marriage Records has the parents of William H. KELLER as Joseph KELLER and Phebe BENTLEY.

Birth and death dates of William and Lamina are on the shared gravestone in Darwin Cemetery, Antlers, Pushmataha County, OK.

After marriage in 1878, the growing family moved around quite a bit, in the Midwestern states, eventually settling in Antlers, Pushmataha, OK, where William and Lamira are both buried.

1 William H. KELLER b: 23 Jun 1857 in IN, d: 27 Dec 1950

+ Lamira Ellen "Maude" LIMAN b: 17 Nov 1860 in IL, m: 15 Jun 1878 in Richland, IL, d: 19 Mar 1932

......2 George Washington KELLER b: 1883 in IN, d: 12 Jan 1962 in Ponca City, Kay, OK

...... + Amanda Parthenia "Mandy" SLATE b: 29 Jan 1892 in OK, m: 18 Aug 1908 in Pottawatomie, OK, d: 1966 in Ponca City, Kay, OK

......2 Pearl Andy KELLER b: 06 Apr 1885 in Jonesboro, Grant, IN, d: 17 Jul 1943

...... + Hattie M. COLVIN b: 22 May 1895 in TX, d: 25 Nov 1971 in OK

......2 Daisy Elveda KELLER b: 20 Jul 1894 in MO, d: 05 May 1981 in Longview, Gregg, TX

...... + James H. HORN b: 03 Sep 1891, m: 08 Mar 1911 in Le Flore, OK, d: 11 Feb 1963

...... + Samuel Fisher SLATE b: 29 Mar 1887 in Van Alstyne, Grayson, TX, m: 14 May 1927 in Tecumseh, Pottawatomie, OK

......2 William M. KELLER b: 1896 in AR

......2 Harry McKinley KELLER b: 27 Aug 1897 in AR, d: 24 Feb 1962

......2 Mabel KELLER b: 20 Jan 1902 in OK, d: 04 Mar 1920

DNA Evidence

Among my AncestryDNA close matches, there are 18 who trace their ancestry back to Joseph and Phebe. Not unexpectedly, 13 of these are descendants of Sarah Anne, my gg-grandmother. However, 3 of them trace back to James Harvey KELLER, and 2 trace back to William H. KELLER. All these distant cousins being descendants of Joseph and Phebe, by different lineages, give good evidence that I am also a descendant of Joseph and Phebe.

Sources

[DLK] The Keller Family / The Descendants of Anthony Keller, 1710-1783, by LCDR Darrell L. Keller, Jr.

I don't have a copy of [DLK], but I have been in touch with the author. He has not yet been able to connect Andrew Joseph KELLER with the KELLERs in his book, although he thinks they must be related.

[TWHCB] Those Who Have Come Before, a public member tree on Ancestry (requires license)

[WCF] Widow's Certificate File Number 3075

This page was last updated 9 Apr 2021 by William Haloupek. Contact haloupek at gmail dot com.