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.