George Abram Keiter
The late George Abram Keiter, who died at his farm home in Xenia township, rural route No. 9 out of Xenia, April 4, 1918, was a native son of Greene county and had lived here all his life. He was born on a farm on the Wilmington pike in Caesarscreek township, seven miles south of Xenia, March 17, 1838, son of Frederick and Mary (Weaver) Keiter, who were born in Hampshire county, Virginia, where they grew up and were married and who then, in 1833, drove through to this part of Ohio and located in the woods of Caesarscreek township, where they established their home and where the subject of this sketch was born. Previous to that date Mrs. Mary Keiter's parents, Abram and Cynthia Weaver, had come out here from Virginia and had settled on a tract of Congress land that Abram Weaver had bought in Caesarscreek township and it was a part of that land that Frederick Keiter settled on, buying it from his father-in-law, the Weavers and the Keiters becoming substantial pioneers of that community. Those of Abram Weaver's children who came to this state, besides Mrs. Keiter, were Benjamin, John (who lived in Licking county), Frank, Abram, Samuel, Sallie and Nancy. Frederick Keiter was a son of George Keiter, a Pennsylvanian, who was married in Virginia, where he spent his last days. George Keiter and wife had ten children, those besides Frederick having been Polly. Hester, Maria, Peggy, Betsy, Benjamin, Jacob, George and John. In addition to the general farming that he carried on on his pioneer farm in Caesarscreek township, Frederick Keiter also had a blacksmith shop. He was a Democrat and he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. They liad twelve children, of whom the subject of this memorial sketch was the seventh in order of birth, the others being the following: Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wife of James Nolan; Harrison, deceased, who was a farmer in Caesarscreek township; John, who also was a farmer in that township and who died there; Margaret, who is now living in the Paintersville neighborhood, widow of Elisha Bales; Nancy, deceased, who was the wife of Thomas Middleton; Susan, who is living in Spring Valley township, widow of Daniel Bean; Jane, wife of Joseph Buckwaiter, of Caesarscreek township; James and Edward, twins, both of whom are farmers, living in the Lumberton neighborhood, and Sarah, wife of Aseph Haines, of Caesarscreek township.
George A. Keiter was reared on the place on which he was born, in Caesarscreek township, receiving his schooling in the neighborhood schools, and remained at home until his marriage when twenty-seven years of age, after which he established his home on his grandfather Weaver's place on the Wilmington pike and was there located for twenty-five years, at the end of which time, in 1892, he bought the place on which he lived until his death, the William Beal farm of eighty-four acres in Xenia township. Upon taking possession of that place Mr. Keiter made numerous improvements on the same and in 1911 remodeled the house in up-to-date fashion. In addition to his general farming Mr. Keiter gave considerable attention to the raising of live stock and of late years particularly he and his son have kept a good many Jersey cattle and Poland China hogs. Mr. Keiter was a Democrat.
On February 2, 1865, George A. Keiter was united in marriage to Mary Catherine Bootes, who was born in Spring Valley township, this county, daughter of Edmund and Elizabeth C. (Hanes) Bootes, natives of Virginia, who had come to this county with their respective parents in the days of their youth and were here married. Edward Bootes was born in 1817 and was but a lad when his parents moved here from Virginia, and here he grew up and married. His wife, Elizabeth C. Hanes, was born in 1823 and was but six years of age when her parents came to this county from Virginia. After his marriage Edward Bootes got a hundred acres of his father's place in the neighborhood of Anderson's Forks and later moved to Spring Valley, where he worked at the carpenter trade until 1859, when he moved to a farm in Caesarscreek township, where he was killed by a falling tree in 1863. His widow survived him for many years, her death occurring in 1908, she then being eighty years and six months of age. Of the nine children born to Edward Bootes and wife five grew to maturity, those besides Mrs. Keiter being Lewis H., who went to the front as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War and died at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1863; Samantha Jane, who died in 1908; Joseph H., who is engaged in the electric-light business at Jackson, Michigan, and Rosa E., who lives in Santa Ana, California. Mr. and Mrs. Keiter have three children, namely: James Franklin Keiter, who for seventeen years taught vocal music in the schools of Greene county, and who is now operating the home farm, giving particular attention to the live-stock business; Mary Elizabeth, wife of Dr. J. G. Fudge, of Spring Valley, and Flora J., who is living with her sister at Spring Valley. Doctor and Mrs. Fudge have four children, Lawrence Keiter, Edith Jennette. Ruth Alice and Mildred Catherine. The Keiters are members of White Chapel Methodist Episcopal church. On February 2, 19 15, Mr. and Mrs. Keiter celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a dinner and reception at their home, the same being attended by forty relatives and near friends.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918