Northumberland County PA Archives Biographies.....Keefer, George W. 1845 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com August 6, 2005, 4:20 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Co. GEORGE W. KEEFER. The gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch is an extensive contractor of Sunbury, Northumberland County, where he has resided for many years and for whose interests he has worked with the untiring energy and zeal that characterizes the man. He has been closely identified with all enterprises having for their ultimate end the advancement of the borough, and is looked upon as one of her progressive citizens and held in high esteem by the whole community. He is a son of George and Elizabeth (Weiser) Keefer, and was born in what was then Lower Augusta township, now Rockefeller, Northumberland County, April 22, 1845. His paternal grandfather, a native of Oley township, Berks County, at an early age came to Shamokin township, Northumberland County, bringing his wife and two children. He was engaged in agricultural pursuits there the remainder of his life, and became a very prosperous man. He was the progenitor of four sons and four daughters, namely: Daniel; George, the father of our subject; John; Peter; Catharine; Mollie; Elizabeth; and Hannah. They are all now deceased. George Keefer was born in Oley township, Berks County, in 1796, and was but eight years of age when he moved to Shamokin township with his father. There he grew to manhood and after his marriage moved to Lower Augusta township, near Lantz's Church, where he was successfully engaged in farming and milling until 1864. At that time he disposed of his grist mill, but continued at farming until his death, which occurred October 16, 1879, at the advanced age of eighty-three years. He was a very prominent man in the political affairs of the section, and his advice was very much sought in party councils. He was affiliated with the Democratic party, and was called upon to serve in many of the township offices. Religiously, he was a faithful member of Lantz's German Reformed Church, which he helped to build and of which he was trustee and elder for many years. He twice took the marriage vows, his first wife being Mary Lantz, by whom he was the father of five children: Samuel; Peter; Margaret; Hannah; and Mary M. His second union was with Elizabeth Weiser, and they became the happy parents of six children, whose names are as follows: Catherine; George W., the subject of this biographical sketch; Philip W.; John S.; Jennie; and Lucy A. George W. Keefer was intellectually prepared for the duties of life in the public schools of Lower Augusta township, and was reared on the farm. In 1865, at the age of twenty years, he embarked in the mercantile business in Lower Augusta township, where he continued for two years. He then located at Herndon for a period of two years, and in 1869 moved to Sunbury, where he followed a similar line of business for five years. Since 1874 he has been engaged in contracting and building. He is an energetic worker and has built many large public buildings, bridges for the county and railroads, and many private residences, always fulfilling the contracts to the letter, and in such a manner as to gain the approval of his employers. His business has grown to a great extent, and at times he gives employment to a large number of men. In 1896 the Sunbury Mutual Life Insurance Company was organized, and he has since been its president. The remaining officers of the company are: George B. Cadwallader, vice-president; Amos Bloom, secretary; Urias Bloom, treasurer; and P. C. Oberdorf, agent. He is a man whose honesty and straightforwardness have never been questioned, and he is alike popular with his employers and fellow citizens, who esteem him as a man of great worth to the community. In his political belief, Mr. Keefer is a stanch Democrat, and has served in an official capacity as burgess three terms, and in the council a number of times. He is also president of the board of trade and has held the position since its organization in 1891. Socially he is a member of Shamokin Lodge No. 255, F. & A. M. In his religious attachments he is a member of the German Reformed Church. On December 16, 1878, Mr. Keefer was united in marriage with Belle M. Zeigler, a daughter of George W. Zeigler, Esq., who was a prominent attorney-at-law of Sunbury, but has been living in retirement since 1895. Mr. Zeigler was born at Gettysburg, Adams County, Pa., May 24, 1819, and is a son of George and Gertrude Elizabeth (Chritzman) Zeigler. His grandfather was Emanuel Zeigler, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, whose home was at Gettysburg, where he followed the trade of a hatter. George Zeigler, the father of George W., was also born at Gettysburg, and there plied the trade of a hatter. For some years he served as prothonotary of Adams County. He subsequently moved to Dauphin County, near the city of Harrisburg, where he spent the remainder of his life, and at one time was elected register and recorder of the county. In political belief he was a Democrat. He was a soldier of the War of 1812. He was joined in wedlock with Gertrude Elizabeth Chritzman, by whom he had seven children, six sons and one daughter. Mrs. Zeigler was born in Germany, and died at the age of seventy-five years in Butler County, Pa., where she was living with one of her sons. George W. Zeigler was intellectually equipped for the battles of life in the public schools of Gettysburg, after which he learned the printer's trade in the establishment of the old Gettysburg Compiler. He thereafter located at Butler and engaged in the printing business with a brother, but later entered upon the study of law in the office of Samuel A. and John N. Pervian of that town. He was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-two years, and practiced at Butler for two years, when he removed to Jefferson County. His career there was one of unceasing activity and he acquired an extensive practice, in fact his duties became so onerous that his health was impaired, and he moved to Selinsgrove, where he practiced for two years. He then moved to Sunbury, where he became a lawyer of recognized ability and cared for a large clientage until 1895, when he retired on account of his advanced years. He is a Democrat in politics, and was elected to the State Legislature in 1854, being returned to that body in 1855 and 1861. On December 27, 1838, Mr. Zeigler was married to Mary A. McQuistion in Butler, Pa., and they became the parents of the following offspring: Isabel, the wife of our subject; Joseph, superintendent of the Adirondacks Railroad; Gertrude E., the wife of P. P. Smith; J. Walter; George, who died in 1860 at the age of thirteen years; and Edgar, who died in infancy. Mrs. Zeigler died September 5, 1889, at the age of sixty-nine years, eleven months and five days. Socially Mr. Zeigler is a member of Sunbury Lodge No. 22. F. & A. M.; and of the Odd Fellow Lodge. Religiously he is an adherent to the faith of the Presbyterian Church. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899) This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/pafiles/ File size: 7.6 Kb