Sister
Stella Keepers 1966
Great-Grandfather
[Isaac] Keepers was married to a Livers and
there were five boys. Great-Grandfather was
killed while hunting in Pennsylvania, near where
the city of Latrobe now stands. After his death,
his wife Mrs. Livers Keepers took the children,
four boys, and went home to her mother in
Maryland. Never again returning to their home,
which they owned and on which the city of
Latrobe now stands, evidently taken over for
taxes thus lost to them.
The fifth son, my
Grandfather, born after his father's death, John
B. Keepers. I have no date for his birth but he
died in March 1879. He married a Cretin (sic)
who died when my father, Alexius V. Keepers, was
seven years old.
Mrs. John B. Keepers'
brothers were: John Henry Cretin, who married a
Dielman. Father to Mollie Bennet-Elsie Bennet's
mother, Josephine Cretin and Mrs. Rebecca
Moore-- Emma Moore's mother. Philip Cretin,
Uncle "Phil" we called him. Father to John Tom
Cretin of "Clairvaux" Farm and James Cretin.
Mary Cretin, a sister, was the wife of Lawrence
Dielman. Alec Cretin "Bud" Charles Cretin --
father of Loelia and Nan, Bud's sisters.
Grandfather John B.
Keepers Family were: Joe Keepers, Helen,
Philomena, Cecilia, who died at age 20, Annie,
who died at age 16, Alexius Vincent, my father,
and a baby boy named Andrew who died in infancy.
Joe married Anne, a
non-catholic. Children of Joe were Adam Keepers,
baptized Catholic, and three daughters, Lizzie,
Jennie and Amanda, baptized non-Catholic. Adam
married and his son Robert, a veterinarian,
still living in Waynesboro, Pa., has one married
daughter and she has two daughters - one
married, one single when I last heard of that
family. [Note: "Adam" referred to above is
listed in many records, correctly, as "John
Adams" Keepers; this is not the first instance
of family memories referencing relatives by
their middle names. - March, 2004, JKK]
Helen Keepers married
Tom Manning - she died when her four children
were very young. They were: John Manning, Mary,
Cecilia and Helen - all dead.
John married to Lizzie
and their children were: Helen, Elva, Lilian and
Raymond - all dead except Lilian. Helen died in
1961.
Helen Keepers Manning is
buried in the lot where Charles. P. Keepers'
daughter Mary and Teresa's (Orndorff) baby
Joseph are buried in the Mountain Cemetery
[probably St. Mary's Cemetery, aka St. Anthony's
Cemetery].
Philomena Keepers -
Papa's sister married Dan Manning (no relation
to Thomas) she also died when her four boys were
very young. They went West with their father. I
think Illinois. I know nothing of them except
James, the youngest, with whom I corresponded a
few times before I came to the Community some
sixty years ago and he was perhaps two or three
years younger than I.
Alexius Vincent Keepers,
"my father," born May 4,1843, died February
2,1924, aged 80 years 8 months and 29 days.
Alexius V. Keepers married Mary Elizabeth
Sebold at the age of 26 years, Mother being not
quite 20 years. They were married January 26,
1869 in the old Mt. St. Mary's Church on the
Hill by Rev. John McCaffery, and went to
Trivavion Farms as a blacksmith to care for the
race horses, shoeing, etc., belonging to the
McFaddens who ran a "race track" and our parents
dwelt in a nice little cottage just below where
Little Pipe Creek and Silver Run or Flat Run
meet to form Big Pipe Creek in Carroll County,
Md., until April of 1884 when they removed to
our old "Homestead" now known as "Lac-o-Hills"
Farm, at present the home of Raymond Keepers.
[Now owned by Gene Troxell - March, 2004, JKK]
Our family consisted of
ten children: George, Mary, Albert, Agnes,
Stella, Joseph, Francis, Charles, Annie and
Lucy.
George Edward, born
April 18, 1870, died November 34,1958, aged 88
years 6 months and 8 days. George married Mary
Loretta Eckenrode, daughter of Ephrim Eckenrode.
His children are: Genevieve, married Clements,
only one daughter Yvonne married Thomas Leonard.
They have five boys, the last two, twins.
Genevieve's husband died when Yvonne was quite
young. Rose married William Wivell. They have
eight children all married except John, about
twenty-three grandchildren in 1960. Joseph died
at age 59. John William married Winnie, no
children. Edgar married, no children. Frank
married Rose O'Grady who died leaving two boys
who are married. Frank remarried and had one
son. Albert married, two children both married,
the girl has several children, the boy married
overseas, they have no children as far as I
know. Anna remained single. Raymond married
Celia, a widow, in 1965. Mazie died at about
twenty years of age.
Mary Catherine Keepers,
my oldest sister, remained single, born November
24, 1871, and died December 27, 1945, aged 74
years 1 month and 4 days. John Albert
Keepers was born October 30,1873, and died
February 7, 1879, aged 5 years 3 months and 8
days. Agnes Cecilia Keepers was born February
26, 1876 and died October 3, 1957 aged 81 years
7 months and 5 days. She married Edward J.
Fitzgerald September 24, 1897. There were five
boys. Frank Fitzgerald married Julia Topper, his
six girls are all married and are happy mothers
of families, one boy died in babyhood, and James
"Jef" is married and has two sons, James, Jr.,
and Kevin. Donald is living in the West. Sidney
died in babyhood. Allen married and was the
father of five boys; they are all married and
have families. Allen died when his boys were
quite young. William married Elsie, no children,
living in the far West, Boulder, Colorado.
Marie Stella Keepers
was born November 24, 1878; a Sister of Charity,
Sister Stella entered the Community on September
27,1906. Now living at Villa Saint Michael.
[Died September 12,1971]
Addendum
Joseph Henry Keepers was
born January 31, 1881. Died October 29, 1884,
aged 3 years 8 months and 27 days. This was my
darling brother and playmate. My first glimpse
of death at which I was deeply grieved. I was
nearly six years old.
Francis Alexius Keepers
was born November 20, 1883, and died March 26,
1885, aged 1 year 4 months and 8 days. His death
was the day after the big fire at St. Joseph's,
and the same day Aunt Julia Seabold died and
Mother brought her son "Albert" home to live
with us.
He took Frank's place in
our family until his father John Seabold
remarried to Emma Rosensteel after seven years,
hence Albert has always been as a "Brother" to
us. Uncle John had several children by this
marriage and his oldest daughter died in 1965.
Charles Peter Keepers
was born February 8, 1886 and died September 24,
1957, aged 71 years 6 months and 16 days.
Charles married Louise O'Toole January 6, 1908.
There were nine children. Helen married Leonard
Sanders. She had one daughter, Rosemary, who
married John Mick, who has two children. Paul
Keepers married Regina Humerick; they had three
daughters the oldest dead, the other two both
married. Marie married a Long, has I think four
or five children and Barbara has three children.
Cecil married Hazel, a non-Catholic, a boy and a
girl both raised Catholic, thank God. Gary was
killed in an Auto accident and Patricia married
and has one little girl. Frances Keepers married
George Rohrbaugh.
They have six boys, the
oldest married a Knott and two more are married;
what I know of them is very limited. Mary
Keepers died at the age of five, I think. Lewis
Keepers married Rita Sanders. They have four
children. (John just returned home after his
term of service.) Louise married George Eckart
in 1964 and they have one baby girl. Jane is
studying at Teachers College. Leonard, I know
nothing about. Teresa Keepers married Karl
Orndorff, has six children, the oldest died in
babyhood, the rest are lovely children of whom
they might justly be proud or rather grateful to
God. Charles E. Keepers married and has a nice
little family whom we do not know. Leo Keepers
married Rosemary Knott. They have twin babies
after six years waiting. Eric and Lauru
(Laura?). My brother Charles' wife, Louise, is
still living. making her home with Teresa, her
youngest daughter.
Annie Virginia Keepers
was born June 1,1888, and became a Sister of
Charity, Sister Philomena, on October 24,1907.
She is now completely blind and living at Villa
Saint Michael, Baltimore, Md. [Died March
15,1973.]
Lucy Mary Keepers was
born December 8,1891, and died January 31, 1946,
aged 54 years 1 month and 23 days. She remained
single.
Paul A. Keepers married
Alice Regina Humerick February 10, 1934. This
was a double wedding with each couple acting as
witnesses for the other. The second couple being
Paul E. Humerick (brother of the above named
bride) and Ida Brawner. Ceremony by Rev. Wm.
Groeninger.
Children of Paul and
Regina Keepers were.
- Mary Anna Keepers,
born July 21,1935, at home in Emmitsburg.
Baptized July 27,1935, St. Joseph's Church,
Emmitsburg. Sponsors: Mr. & Mrs. Edgar
Humerick, Grandparents. Died March 7, 1936,
buried by Rev. H. V. Piper, C.M., March 9, St.
Joseph's, Emmitsburg, Md.
- Regina Marie, born
July 29, 1936 at home in Emmitsburg, Md.
Baptized Aug. 2, 1936, St. Joseph's Church,
Emmitsburg. Sponsors: Mr. & Mrs. Charles P.
Keepers, Grandparents. Confirmed May 12, 1946.
- Barbara Lorraine,
Born April 22, 1941, at home in Emmitsburg,
Md. Baptized April 27, 1941, St. Joseph's
Church, Emmitsburg. Sponsors: Eugene and
Lorraine Rodgers. Confirmed Sept. 18, 1951.
- Regina Marie Keepers
married Ralph C. Long in St. Joseph's Church,
Emmitsburg, December 29, 1956. Witnesses were
Donald Long, brother of the Groom and Barbara
Keepers, sister of the Bride. Celebrant was:
Rev. Vincent G. Heary, C.M.
- Barbara Lorraine
Keepers married James McNichols at St.
Joseph's, Emmitsburg, Md., on Feb.15, 1958, by
Rev. James T. Twoomey, C.M.
Children of Regina Marie
Keepers (Long) were:
- Cynthia Marie Long,
born November 25, 1957, at Annie Warner
Hospital, Gettysburg, Pa. Baptized December 8,
1957, by Father Heary, C.M., godparents, Paul
& Regina Keepers. First Communion May 9,1965,
Father Storms, C.M. Confirmation 1969
- Victoria Ann Long,
born January 5, 1959, at Warner Hospital,
Gettysburg, Pa. Baptized January 18, 1959 by
Father Sleasman, C.M., godparents, Leonard and
Ethel Long. First Communion May13,1967, Father
Storms, C.M. Confirmation Nov. 4,1971
- Pamela Jean Long,
born April 14, 1961, at Warner Hospital,
Gettysburg, Pa. Baptized April 30, 1961 by
Father Sleasman, C.M., godparents Carroll and
Mary Wivell. First Communion, April 3, 1969.
- Ralph Joseph Long,
born June 29, 1963, at Warner Hospital,
Gettysburg, Pa. Baptized July 7, 1963 by
Father Kreig, godparents Robert and Ann
Little. First Communion April 8, 1971, Father
King
- Mary Elizabeth Long,
born July 2, 1968 at Warner Hospital,
Gettysburg, Pa. Baptized July 21, 1968 by
Father Santoro, C.M., godparents Sterling and
Jean Orndorff.
Read other family histories
Do you know of an
individual who helped shape Emmitsburg?
If so, send their story to us at: history@emmitsburg.net