John Keller was born September 19, 1855 in Neider-Roden, Hesse, Germany, a son of Wendelin and Katharina (Wade) Keller, and died February 13, 1939 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Minot, ND. He married Margaret Sauer on June 27, 1884 in Cold Springs, Minnesota. John came to the United States in 1883 and came by covered wagon to North Dakota in 1889 and built a shack five miles north of Minot. Drought forced him to return to Minnesota in 1891.

In 1903 John and his family returned to North Dakota and filed a homestead west of the Mouse River in Muskego Township.

John and Margaret had 11 children: Mathilda E. (Mrs. William C. Bloms), Elizabeth (died at 4 months), Margaret B. (Mrs. John C. Bloms), John M. (never married), Mary A. (Mrs. Cornelius Gruntjes), Gertrude C. (Mrs. Herman Schmitz), William J. (died at 20 years), Philip (died at 6 weeks), Cecelia A. (Mrs. Edward Clementich), Irene A. (Mrs. Leonard Backes) and Adeline, who became a nun, Sister Marie de la Salette.
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Rites to Be Held Thursday for John Keller
Funeral services for John Keller, 84, old time resident of the St. Henry's district north of Foxholm, will be held at 10:30 a.m. today (Thursday) from St. Henry's church, burial to take place in the church cemetery.
Mr. Keller died at a Minot hospital Monday following a brief illness. He entered the hospital on Sunday. He had made his home at Glenburn with his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Backes, for some time. His wife died Dec. 1, 1927, and was buried at St. Henry's cemetery.
The body was taken Wednesday from the Finnegan funeral home to the home of Mrs. John Bloms, a daughter, where it remained until the funeral hour.
He leaves one son and seven daughters, including, John Keller, Mrs. William Bloms and Mrs. Ed Clementich, all of Carpio; Mrs. John Bloms of Foxholm; Mrs. C. Gruntjes of Carrington; Mrs. Herman Schmitz of Foxholm; Sister Marie de la Salette of Oakes and Mrs. Leonard Backes of Glenburn.
**The Ward County Independent, Thursday, February 16, 1939, Page 4.