Keck-Rachor Biography

Benedict KECK was born on January 26, 1810[2] in Zellhausen, Hessen, Germany and baptized in the Catholic Church there. He was the tenth child of Lorenz KECK and Elizabeth DISSER. He became a shoemaker. He married Anna Maria RACHOR in Feb 1832.[3] They were both 22 yrs. old. Their oldest son, Philip, was born on 17 Jun 1831 and legitimized by the marriage. Benedict decided to immigrate to America to avoid serving in the German army. He was granted permission to emigrate in March 1842,[4] the month George was born. He left Germany in 1842 with his wife Anna Marie Rachor and six children: Philip (13), Andrew (12), Franklin (10), Margaret (7), Catherine (4), and George (2). They traveled first class and had $400 in cash. It is said that Benedict had a false bottom made in his sea chest[5] where he hid his gold. During the crossing he supposedly sat on the chest with a gun in his hand. It was a rough crossing and the ship lost its rudder in a very bad storm. The voyage took 90 days instead of the normal 60 days.[6] They arrived on 2 Oct 1842.[7]

They first settled in Latrobe, Westmoreland Co, PA where they had relatives, including Anna Maria's mother, Anna Maria WALTHER RACHOR, her brother Andreas (Levi), her sister Maria Anna (married to Philip “Cooney” FOLK), who all came to the U.S. in Sep 1842. Other relatives named BOLLINGER, FAIL, and MONAHAN lived there also. On 18 Aug 1845 Benedict filed a “Declaration of Intent” to stay in the U.S. His naturalization record states: “Native of Germany. Subject of Ludwig k/o Gross Hertzog. Arrived US 02 Oct 1842. Prothonotary: David Fullwood.”

They lived in Latrobe from 1842-46. Two children were born there, Mary Eve in 1845 and John in 1846.

A priest from SE Ohio came to Pittsburgh and Saint Vincent’s Monastery and spread the news of a new Catholic settlement and cheap lands which settlers could purchase.[9] Looking for better employment and a Catholic community, they moved to Vinton Co, OH in the spring of 1846. They no doubt traveled down the Ohio River and then 18 miles overland to Vinton Co. They must have had local contacts, who put them up and helped them in their early days to clear the land and build a log cabin.

Five miles to the southwest Patrick Quinn donated land which was referred to in 1842 as Quinn’s Settlement[10] and built a small frame building which he named St. Mary’s Church. Father O’Mealy baptized John there on 13 July 1846 and Mary Ann on 12 Aug. 1848.[10] They first attended Mass in a log cabin on the old Fletcher farm, which is now on SR 160. In 1851(1857 acc. to Phil) Father Kelly became the first resident pastor of St. Mary’s near the small village that became Minerton. Most of the early members were Irish, who lived on nearby Irish Ridge. The Kecks were among the very few non-Irish families in the new Catholic community[11] and the family was very active in the Church there.

On the 1850 census Benedict’s occupation is listed as farmer and his real estate is valued at $600. On October 4, 1855 he bought 220 acres of land for $1100 (five dollars an acre) from William Woodbridge[12] and started a sheep farm. The land is hilly and very suitable for grazing. At one time Vinton Co. was called the sheep raising capital of Ohio. They raised as many as one thousand sheep. Anna brought seeds and slips of plants with her when they came from Germany and had a great herb garden. She was an herbalist and knew what would help family and friends recover from ailments. She taught her daughter Margaret to grow and use herbs for healing.

The last three children, Mary Ann (1848), William (1850), and Matilda Ann (1854) were born in Minerton. The young children attended the one room school nearby. Three children, John (10), Mary Ann (8), and Matilda Ann (2), died of scarlet fever in Minerton in Feb. & Mar. 1856.

St. Mary’s was the center of the family’s social life as is evident from the fact that all Benedict’s eight surviving children except Philip married Irish, most from within the St. Mary’s community. In Jul. 1856, Franklin married Caroline CAMPBELL and in Sep. 1856 Philip married Selenda EUTSLER. Benedict died at 48 yrs. in Minerton on 28 Nov 1858.[13] Benedict’s grave is in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Minerton, OH.

Margaret married Peter Russell MORAN in 1861. Andrew married Sarah SWEENEY in Feb 1862. In August 1862 Franklin joined the Ohio Infantry and in February 1865 Philip and Andrew also enlisted. In 1865 Margaret and Peter Russell left Minerton to settle in Illinois. The 1870 census shows George and Elizabeth DORAN living with Anna Maria in her home with Mary Eve (Pheba) (25) and William (19) still at home. Catherine married to John McGOVERN lived nearby with their two children, Ann and Margaret. George followed Margaret to Illinois shortly after he married Lizzie DORAN in 1871. Andrew and Sarah moved in spring of 1878 also tor Illinois. The 1880 census shows Anna Maria living with Mary Ann (Mary Eve) in the FITZSIMMONS household right before Mary Eve married Frank. Anna Maria died on 28 Feb 1886 at 76 yrs. and was buried next to Benedict. She had been a widow for 28 yrs.

Catherine was born in Zellhausen, Germany on 10 Jan 1840[14]. She came to America with her parents and siblings in 1844 and settled in Latrobe, PA from 1844-47. She moved with her parents and siblings to Minerton in Vinton Co, OH in 1847 where her father raised sheep. She married John McGovern on 21 Sep 1862 in OH. They had Catherine in 1866 and Margaret in 1868. The 1870 census shows Catherine married to John with two children, Ann and Margaret living near her mother. John is listed as a farmer and their real estate is valued at $1500. Catherine died at 62 yrs. in 1902 in Minerton, OH.

Mary Eve was born in Latrobe, PA in 1845. She moved with her parents and siblings to Minerton in Vinton Co, OH in 1847 where her father raised sheep. The 1850 census lists her as Maria, 5 yrs; the 1860 census as Pheba, 15 yrs; the 1870 as Eve, 25 yrs; the 1880 census as Mariah, 27 yrs (she was 35), living with her mother in the Fitzsimmons house. She married Francis (Franklin) FITZSIMMONS (9 yrs her junior) on 9 Nov 1880 in Minerton, OH. They had Edward, John and Marie. She survived her sister, Margaret, who died in 1908.

Born on 20 Feb 1846 in Latrobe, PA. He moved with his parents and siblings to Minerton in Vinton Co, OH in 1847 where his father raised sheep. He died at 10 yrs. on 19 Feb 1856 same day as his sister Mary Ann. He is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Minerton, OH.

Born on 29 Jun 1848 in Minerton, OH and died there at 8 yrs. on 19 Feb 1856, same day as brother, John. She is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Minerton, OH.

William was born in Minerton, OH on 25 Nov 1850[16]. He was a carpenter and violin maker. He married Hilah McCARLEY on 7 Feb 1874[17]. They had 9 children: Agnes “Aggie”, George “Mont,” Ollie, Ethel, Samuel, Benjamin, Mary, John, and Matilda. In 1900 they were still living in Vinton Co.[18] They later moved to Logan, OH. William made two violins for his sons, Mont & Ollie. They celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary on 10 Feb 1925 at their home in Logan, OH. “Music for the occasion was furnished by Mr. Keck on his violin assisted by his grandson, Robert, with his niece, Anna McAndrew, on the piano.”[19] He died at 75 yrs. on 18 Oct 192516 in Logan, OH and is buried there in Oak Grove Cemetery with his wife Hilah. Mont married Katie Butt and lived in Chauncey, OH where he was a carpenter and building contractor. He died in 1972 and is buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Chauncey, OH. Ethel married three times and is buried with her third husband, Carl Judy, next to her parents in Oak Grove Cemetery, Logan, OH.

Matilda was born on 11 Oct 1854 in Minerton, OH and died there at 2 yrs. on 20 Mar 1856, one month after John and Mary Ann. She is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Minerton, OH.

[2]] Baptism record

[3] Marriage record

[4] Emigration record

[5] “This old sea chest was in an upstairs bedroom of Peter and Margaret’s house on the farm until 1960 when I sold the house. It was later destroyed because it was too large to fit through the door or window. The wood was not very heavy stock and became very dry and brittle as it grew older. It was humpback with wide brass bands across the top and down the front and back with a large lock. There were big bold letters “B. Keck” on the front. I gave the big key to JWP Keck in 1981.” Lucille Wilson, 1999

[6] Raymond Henry Keck, son of George W.; grandson of Philip, in 1981 note sent to JWP Keck

[7] Westmoreland Co. (PA) Naturalization Records 1802-1852" By Iscrupe, p. 159

[9] History of St. Mary’s Church, Minerton, OH, Philip Keck, 1903

[10] Parish records, Church of the Nativity, Portsmouth, OH.

[11] Vinton Co. History and Families, Frances Hixon

[12] Vinton Co. land records 1855

[13] Grave marker

[14] Baptism record

[15] 1860 census

[16] Gravestone

[17] Gallia Co. marriage records, Vol. 3, p. 438

[18] 1900 Census, Wilkesville Twnshp, Vinton Co.

[19] Newspaper article

Keck-Rachor Family

Benedict Keck & Anna Maria Rachor