William Keever

     The Progress Farm is the name of the rural homestead occupied by William Keever and family in Section six of Fairmount Township, on the rural delivery route number twenty-one out of Fairmount. The place is well named and progressive methods are everywhere in evidence. Mr. Keever applies business sense and judgment to every operation on his estate and few business houses in Grant County are run any more systematically or with greater net profit according to the investment than the Progress Farm. The Keever family have been identified with Grant County for more than seventy years, and a number of its members are well known citizens.

    The grandfather of William Keever was Adam Keever, a native of Pennsylvania, of old German stock which settled in that province probably during the early colonial era. Adam Keever grew up on a farm, took that as his occupation and married a Pennsylvania girl. The most, if not all of their children were born in Pennsylvania. About the year 1828 Adam Keever and family moved west and located for some years in Ohio and later became pioneer settlers in Randolph County, Indiana, where he entered land, improved a farm from the wilderness, and died there at the venerable age of eighty-eight years. His first wife had died many years previously, at the age of sixty. By a later marriage Adam Keever had two children.

    Daniel C. Keever, a son of Adam, and father of William Keever, was born in Pennsylvania, July 3, 1816, and was twelve years of age when the family came to Ohio. He was the oldest of three sons, his two brothers being Adam Jr., and George. There were a number of sisters. Daniel C. Keever was reared in Randolph county on his father's farm, and after becoming of age married Elizabeth J. Asher. While he came from Virginia, where she was born January 18, 1819, a daughter of Virginia people who moved to Randolph County, Indiana, among the early settlers there. Elizabeth at the time of this removal was a child. Later he parents moved to Ohio, and died in Fayette County, when in old age. They were in religion Methodists. The marriage of Daniel C. Keever and wife occurred about 1840, and in that year they moved to Grant County. The county was still new and undeveloped, much of the land had never been touched by the hand of civilization, and Mr. Keever entered one hundred and sixty acres in Monroe Township. His industry resulted in the improvement of an excellent farm and he continued a  prosperous farmer, quiet citizen and a man of influence until his death in 1895. His wife preceded him in death on September 12, 1876. In many respects Daniel C. Keever was a remarkable man. Without educational advantages, his native ability enabled him to succeed far above the average, and he was never at disadvantage in his association and relations with his fellows. By his industry and good judgment, he accumulated an estate of six hundred acres, and died comparatively wealthy. In local affairs his influence was strong, and he was during his career one of the best known Republicans in Monroe Township, assisting many of his friends to office, though never an aspirant for political honors himself. His judgment was often trusted in the settlement of estates, and in other ways much honor was shown to him by his fellow citizens. During he early years of the family residence in Grant County, his wife showed her individual capability as a good pioneer housemother by spinning and weaving practically all the clothes worn by members of the household. She was especially skillful in this kind of work, and some of the articles made by her are still kept as previous heirlooms by her descendants. One or two of those article snow existing are sixty years old, and Mr. William Keever has one example of her handiwork. Daniel Keever was a Quaker in religion and his wife probably held to the same convictions.

    Mr. William Keever was the fifth in a family of eight sons and one daughter, and their names and brief mention of their individual careers are given as follows:

1. Addison, who died July 11, 1913, in Upland, Grant County, was a retired farmer during his latter years and left two children. His widow still resides at Upland.

2. Martin, now living retired on his farm in Smith County, Kansas, had ten children, his wife being now deceased.

3. Eliza, died at the age of thirteen years.

4. George, who died December 8, 1912, lived some years as a retired farmer in Smith County, Kansas, and his widow still has her home there, the mother of eleven children.

5. John is a farmer on the old homestead in Monroe Township, and had three children, one of whom is now deceased.

6. William is next in order of the children.

7. Frank, who is married and a farmer in Monroe Township has four children living.

8. Walter, now lives in Upland a retired farmer, and has two sons two daughters.

9. Elmer is still actively engaged in farming in Monroe Township and has one son.

    William Keever was born on his father's farm in Monroe Township, February 15, 1852. His early training was that of a farmer and the facilities of the common schools in his neighborhood supplied him with his book learning. Since he reached his majority all his energies have been directed along the line of farming, and he has been a resident of Fairmount Township since 1879. In that year he bought one hundred and thirteen acres of fertile land, though with few improvements, in Sections five and six. Years of toil and good management have made this a beautiful and valuable estate. There are two large barns, one for stock and one for grain. With the exception of twelve acres of native timber all the land is in cultivation, and there is practically no waste land, and everything responds to the enterprising management of Mr. Keever. The character of substantial comfort is everywhere evident , and a large house of ten rooms nicely pained white is the pleasant home of the Keevers. Almost every kind of cereal crops is grown on his land, with a high average of production per acre.

    Mr. Keever was married in Jefferson Township of Grant County to Miss Sarah E. Marine, who was born in that township, September 12, 1858, and educated there. Her parents were Jonathan and Mary (Forehand) Marine, the former born in Wayne County, Indiana, May 26, 1831, and the latter in Grant County in 1842. Mrs. Marine died in 1865, both she and her husband being Quakers in religion. Their respective parents came to Indiana from North Carolina. Mr. Marine, who is still living, though now retired, making his home with Mrs. Keever, ahs had a life of industry as a farmer, passed chiefly in Jefferson Township. He has been three times married and all his wives are now deceased. Mr. Marine in politics is a Democratic voter.

   Two of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Keever died in infancy, one of them being named Cleo. For their church affiliation  Mr. and Mrs. Keever worship with the Friends, and in politics he is a Prohibitionist.

    The children of Mr. and Mrs. Keever are:

1. Iva E., is the wife of Omer Harris, now a farmer in Delaware County, Indiana, and they have a daughter, Irene.

2. Auda Jay is a graduate of the University of Michigan in 1907, was at once admitted to the bar, and has since been successful practice of his profession at Jonesboro, this county. He married Etta Gift, but hey have no children.

3. Hanson, who was educated in the public schools of Grant County, is a farmer in Sims County, married Cora Michales and has a daughter, Margarite.

4. Ethel is the wife of Burnett Alred, and lives in Fairmount City.

Centennial History of Grant County Indiana 1812-1912. The Lewis Publishing Co., 1914.

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