Christian Philip Keller

We know little of Christian’s early life. His father Martin was a postman, his mother was Marie Yung Keller and he had three siblings. This undated fading photo only bears the note that Christian is standing by his father and his mother, Marie Keller. We know that Christian was an orphan at age 11 and was raised by his Uncle Christ Keller and his Aunt Marie Philippine Kuchler Keller, she was born August 19, 1838 in Kronberg, died March 27, 1920 in Berlin.

Christian Phillip Keller had immigrated from Kronberg in 1881, we do not know the exact date. He stopped in Centralia for one year, then moved to Belleville and St. Louis and returned to Centralia in 1887.

Christian Keller and Anna Maria Clara Hirsch both came from Kronberg where they were neighbors and acquainted since childhood. It is probable that they were planning marriage as soon as Christian was established and Anna Maria Clara had arrived in America.