My Genealogy Hound

JOEL KEOPPEL. One of the oldest, settlers of Union township, Phelps county, and a man who has profited as well by reason of his long residence there as any man in the township, is Joel Keoppel, the subject of this brief biographical notice. He came to Nebraska in the fall of 1878 and located a homestead in Gosper county and a tree claim in Phelps county, the latter being the northwest quarter of section 6, township 6, range 20 west. After improving his homestead he sold it and subsequently moved on to his tree claim, where he has since resided. This lies in the western part of Phelps county, adjoining and partly covered by the town of Bertrand. What is not occupied by the town site, Mr. Keoppel has in a splendid state of cultivation, he having growing on it a large and thrifty grove and furnished with commodious and substantial buildings. He laid out several acres of it as an addition to the town of Bertrand a few years ago. This is now covered with handsome residences, making homes for a number of families. Mr. Keoppel has been identified with the best interests of his community, and has been especially active in promoting the interests of Bertrand. He has given liberally of his means and has worked with untiring industry in behalf of his adopted town. As a return for his liberality and as a monument to his energy and foresight, he sees growing up around him a town which will be the center of business and afford many happy and peaceful homes to the people of his locality for years to come.

Joel Keoppel was born in Mercer county, Ohio, November 16, 1848. He is the fifth of a family of twelve children born to George C. and Catherine (Deal) Keoppel, the former a native of Germany the latter a native of Ohio, of German descent. His father came to this country when a young man and settled in Ohio where he married and passed all his subsequent life, dying in 1888. His widow survives him, being still a resident in her native state. The subject of this notice grew to maturity in his native county, being brought up on his father’s farm. He received a good common-school education and passed his earlier years in farming pursuits and at the carpenter’s trade. At the age of eighteen he went to Iowa and there in the year 1871 married Miss Louisa Hildebrand, a daughter of Lenoard and Mary Hildebrand, natives of Germany. To this union have been born nine children — Mary, Omar, Jake, Annie, Rosa, Allen, Emma, Phillip and William. Mr. Keoppel has a pleasant home and having been fortunate in his worldly affairs he has been enabled to raise his family under favorable circumstances, giving them the benefit of good educational training and will be enabled to give them a fair start in life.