BIO: Rudolph Frederick KELKER, Dauphin County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 
Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the 
Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: 
J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 298-300.
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  KELKER, RUDOLPH FREDERICK, son of Frederick and Catharine (Fager) 
Kelker, was born February 17, 1820, at Harrisburg, Pa.  In March, 1835, 
he entered the hardware store of Oglesby & Hinckley, successors of 
Oglesby & Pool, who were successors to his father, to learn the 
business and continued with them until May, 1838, when, owing to 
delicate health, he left the establishment and gave attention to the 
improvement of his father's lands in the vicinity of Harrisburg.  On 
November 18, 1842, he purchased the interest of Mr. Hinckley and 
carried on the hardware business with his partner, Mr. Oglesby, until 
the death of the latter, March 21, 1846.  He continued the business 
alone until May following, when he associated with him his two 
brothers, and conducted the same under the firm name of Kelker & 
Brothers, remaining in business until May 14, 1851, when on account of 
failing health he retired from mercantile pursuits.  In 1852 he was 
elected a director of the Harrisburg Bank, in which institution he has 
served for a number of triennial terms.  For several years he was a 
director of the First National Bank, and a manager of the Harrisburg 
cemetery.  In the corporation of Harrisburg as a city, he was appointed 
with seven other citizens, by the Legislature, on the commission to lay 
out the streets and avenues necessary in the new territory included 
within its limits.  From 1854 until 1891 he served as a trustee of the 
Harrisburg Academy, and was for a long time its secretary and 
treasurer.  From 1866 to 1872 Mr. Kelker was one of the directors of 
the poor for the county of Dauphin, and through his instrumentality 
proper legislation was secured, new additional buildings erected and 
such improvements made in the general management of the almshouse as 
greatly alleviated the condition of the unfortunate inmates.  He was 
one of the founders of the City Hospital, a manager from its 
organization in 1873 until 1889; from March, 1878, until his 
resignation, its treasurer, and was on the committee to superintend the 
construction of the new building erected in 1883-4.  In 1873 and 1874 
he was one of the trustees of the Pennsylvania Lunatic Hospital at 
Harrisburg, and at the organization of the Harrisburg City Passenger 
Railway Company, in 1874, was made a director, and was treasurer from 
November 2, 1874, to May, 1891, when he resigned because of the company 
began to run their cars on the Lord's Day.  Apart from these active 
duties of citizen life, Mr. Kelker's labors in the Reformed church, of 
which he is a prominent member, it is here deemed proper to summarize.  
His parents were also members of the Reformed church, and on April 
27,1823, he was enrolled as a scholar in the Sunday school.  December 
27, 1835, he was confirmed by Rev. J. F. Berg, D.D., as a member of the 
church; a deacon of the church from 1841 to 1849, an elder in the same 
from 1849 to 1875, excepting the year 1867, and since May, 1883, has 
filled the same position.  From October, 1836, until April 29, 1850, he 
served as a teacher, and from the latter date until January, 1870, as 
superintendent of the Sunday-school, when at the request of the 
consistory of the church, he took charge of an adult Bible class, 
which, during the first year increased from twelve to ninety members 
and at the close of December, 1874, it numbered one hundred and sixty-
one, when the class was assigned by the consistory to the pastor of the 
church on account of Mr. Kelker's anti-ritualistic views.  Being thus 
relieved of his work in the Sabbath-school he accepted an invitation to 
organize and take charge of an adult Bible class of both sexes, to be 
composed of persons of all denominations as well as those who had no 
church relation, which organization was effected under the name of the 
"Salem Bible Class of Harrisburg," which now has a large membership and 
has had connected with it during its existence more than nine hundred 
persons.  The class is incorporated, has a valuable library and for the 
last twenty-three years has been one of the established religious 
institutions of the city.  For many years Mr. Kelker was one of the 
vice-presidents of the Pennsylvania State Sabbath-school Association 
and has been for a number of years one of the vice-presidents of the 
board of managers of the American Sunday-school Union, and of the 
American Tract Society.
  In 1845 Mr. Kelker was elected a trustee of Marshall College, 
Mercersburg, and subsequently, until 1869, a corporate trustee after 
its union with Franklin College of Lancaster, as Franklin and Marshall 
College.  The Eastern Synod of the Reformed Church was incorporated in 
1859, and he was one of the five trustees named in the charter and the 
first president of the board, and subsequently for a number of years 
treasurer of the same.  Since 1863, with the exception of three years, 
up to October, 1890, he served as treasurer of the board of foreign 
missions of the General Synod of the Reformed Church.  He was a member 
of the synodical committee to prepare the "Triglott Tercontenary 
Heidelberg Catechism," published in 1863, but dissented from the final 
action of that body, believing that many changes made in the new 
English translation were wholly unwarranted and uncalled for. He 
repeatedly represented his congregation in Classis, and the Classis as 
delegate to the Synod.  He was a member of the Synod of York in 1866, 
and made powerful opposition to the adoption and reference of the "New 
Order of Worship" to the General Synod.  In 1867, with others, he 
united in a call for a convention of two hundred and twenty-five 
ministers and elders of the Eastern Synod, which assembled at 
Myerstown, Pa., to protest against the "Order of Worship," as being 
contrary to the doctrines and cultus of the Reformed Church.  One of 
the results of this movement was the establishment, in 1869, of Ursinus 
College, at Freeland, Montgomery county, Pa., under the presidency of 
Rev. J. H. A. Bomberger, D.D., with a university charter, thus enabling 
the institution to teach theology as well as the classics.  In 1879 Mr. 
Kelker served as a member of the "Peace Commission," a body consisting 
of twelve ministers and twelve elders, chosen by direction of the 
General Synod of the Reformed Church of the United States by the 
several District Synods to assemble at Harrisburg, Pa., and adjust the 
differences existing in the church in doctrine, cultus and government.  
After eight days' discussion a basis of union was unanimously adopted, 
and a new era in the history of the church was opened up, which brought 
peace and harmony.  The work of the commission was unanimously approved 
by the General Synod and the same persons were at once appointed by it 
to prepare an "Order of Worship" for the denomination suited to its 
wants and evangelical in its character, which work was accomplished in 
1884, and was constitutionally adopted as the Directory of Worship of 
the Reformed Church in the United States.
  In June, 1839, at his suggestion, the Sunday-school teachers of 
Harrisburg founded the Harrisburg Sunday-school Union, of which he was 
the first secretary, and upon its reorganization, in 1854, was chosen 
president thereof.  He was one of the founders of the Young Men's 
Christian Association, in December, 1854, and president of the same in 
1856.  Mr. Kelker has likewise been deeply interested in the temperance 
work.  In 1837 at the suggestion of, and in connection with an intimate 
friend, James Cowden, they started the first total abstinence society 
in Harrisburg, as previous to this date the temperance organizations 
allowed the use of malt and vinous liquors.  In 1840 he took a 
prominent part in the Washington temperance movement, and has often 
represented the cause in State conventions.  Since their organization 
he has been the chairman of the executive committee appointed by the 
Christian citizens of Harrisburg a number of years ago, to watch the 
applications for license, so as to prevent improper persons from 
obtaining the same, and to require all engaged in the liquor traffic to 
conform to the provisions of the license laws.  As foreman of the grand 
jury of the county in 1871, 1873 and 1879, he made presentment of the 
license law as a public nuisance, and gave valuable statistics on the 
subject which attracted great attention.  The report of 1873 was widely 
circulated, more than fifty thousand copies being printed by the 
friends of the temperance cause.  In accordance with the suggestions of 
this report almost one-half of the applications for that year for hotel 
and saloon liquor license were refused by the court.  Mr. Kelker 
married, June 17, 1844, Mary Anne, daughter of Gen. William Reily, and 
their children were Frederick, Luther Reily, Rudolph Frederick, and 
William Anthony, of whom the second and fourth are living.  Mrs. Kelker 
entered into rest August 27, 1890.