Jacob Vanderploeg

Jacob Vanderploeg's United States, World War II, Draft Registration Card. 1942.

Alfred G. Keetch Jr. and Martha Rosella Thorne

1879-1951

 

1880-1967

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=114122&PIpi=21321753

Alfred Greenwood Keetch

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=114350&PIpi=15346975

 From "Portrait, Genealogical & Biographical Record of the State of Utah: Containing Biographies of Many Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present," published 1902, page 271-272.

Alfred G Keetch is a name that will go down to history as one of those who took a leading part for many years in colonization work in this new Territory and also actively participated in alt all of the Indian troubles, his bravery and undaunted courage making him a prominent figure among the early settlers, and being called upon whenever there was any danger to be faced, and be it said to his honor that he never refused to respond to such calls, nor stopped to count the cost, but unhesitatingly went where duty led.

Alfred G. Keetch was born in Bedfordshire, England,
January 3, 1840, and is the son of William K. and Ann Greenwood
Keetch, natives of England. The parents of our subjects were converted to the teachings of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were among the first to be baptized in Bedfordshire. The father became President of the Bedfordshire Branch of the Church and for many years previous to his departure for America preached there. With his wife and family he emigrated to America in 1856, settling at Florence, and remained there for some years. The mother died the same year they came to America and was buried in the Mormon grave yard at Florence; also one child, William. the father later moved to the Bear Lake country in Idaho, where he died in July 1889.

Our subject came to Utah in 1862, in the independent train of David Kimball, in which he drove four yoke of oxen and haled freight across the plains. he arrived in Utah on November 4th and settled in Grantsville, where he lived for a short time and was then sent on a colonization mission to Bear Lake, Idaho, remaining there twenty months, when he again returned to Grantsville, spending the winter of 1865 in that place. In the spring of 1866 he was sent to the Missouri river with four yoke of oxen, for the purpose of bringing emigrants to Utah.

Upon returning to Utah Mr. Keetch was married on November 10, 1866, to Miss Emily Harris, daughter of John and Ann (Stanley) Harris, natives of England, who came to America in 1866. As a result of this union, twelve children have now been born, eleven of whom are now living--Emily A., now Mrs. Aston of Lindon; Lizzie, now Mrs. Cullimore, of the same place, Martha J., now the wife of Meacham Timpanogas; Luella, now Mrs. Cullimore, of Lindon,; Mary E., now Mrs. Thorne, living in Lindon; Alfred Gl, also living in Lindon. He returned June 14, 1901, from a twenty-six month's mission to the Southern States; Ruthie M., now Mrs. Walker of Lindon; Effie L., living at home, and a member of the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association; William J., Hazel B. and Stanley B., all at home; Samuel C. died in infancy.

In 1867 Mr. And Mrs. Keetch went on a colonization mission to the Big Muddy country in Nevada, where they remained until 1871. The State of Nevada imposed and tried to collect an enormous tax from the people who colonized that section of the State, with the result that the Mormons retired from the colony and returned to Utah. Upon returning from the Big Muddy country our subject located at Pleasant Grove, which has since been his home; the section in which he settled having of late years been known as London Ward. During all these years much trouble had been experienced with the Indians and Mr. Keetch participated in many of the battles between the settlers and their savage foes. He bought twenty acres of sagebrush land, which he at once began to clear and cultivate and at this time owns fifty-six acres of land in the county, and has a splendid brick house and good improvements on his home place. In addition to a general farming he has also done considerable business in cattle and live stock, in which he has been prospered.

In politics he is a Democrat and has always been quite active in the work of that party. He served on the City Council for one term and was Mayor of Pleasant Grove for two terms before this Ward was set apart. He became a member of the Mormon Church in England, shortly before coming to the United States and has since been a faithful follower of its teachings. For many years he was very active in the Sunday Schools and Young Men's Association. In 1890 he was ordained a High Priest and set apart as first counselor to Bishop Coppley of Lindon Ward, which position he still holds. the ordination services were conducted by John W. Young. Mr. Keetch is one of the prominent and influential citizens of the part of Utah county and has by his upright and manly life won and retained the friendship and confidence of a large circle of people. His services in colonization work in the past has redounded not alone to the good of the Church, but of the State at large, and opened the way for many who were not members of the Mormon church to come into the State and make homes for themselves and their families, and too much cannot be said in praise of such men.

Source:  http://books.google.com/books?id=_uQDAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA271&ots=RYg_ZjTDno&dq=%22Ann%20Greenwood%20Keetch%22&pg=PA271#v=onepage&q=%22Ann%20Greenwood%20Keetch%22&f=false

http://turnedtoourfathers.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-16T20:24:00-08:00&max-results=7

William K. Keetch

William Keetch is our 4th great grandfather. He left England on the same ship as the Martin and Willie handcart companies in May of 1856, but did not leave Florence, Nebraska with the rest of the company. The note below says that there were many that were sick and his wife and son died in September and October of that same year. The handcart companies left in August. I found this from Ancestry.com:

William Keetch was born September 3, 1811 in Kempston, England, the son of Richard and Elizabeth (Inkley).  When he was twenty-four, he married Ann Greenwood, the daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (White) on 30 Aug 1835.  Ann was born 17 Dec 1811 in Newport, England and died 12 Sep 1856 in Florence Nebraska. Eleven children blessed their home in Kempston.

Children of William Keetch and Ann Greenwood

1. Charles Greenwood Keetch b-2 July 1837; m-Mercy Truth Barker; d-3 Sep 1896 in St Charles
2. Alfred Greenwood Keetch b-13 Jan 1840; d-27 July 1925 in Lindon Utah
3. Elizabeth Emma Keetch b-7 Apr 1842; m-Samuel Matthews 12 Oct 1864; d-11 Apr 1893 in Liberty
4. Emma Keetch b-11 June 1844; m-John Reed; d-18 May 1901 in Omaha Nebraska
5. Martha Mae Keetch b-1 Mar 1846; m-Elam Hollingsworth; d-19 Mar 1899 in Preston Idaho
6. Mary Keetch b-1 Mar 1846; d-25 June 1849
7. William Keetch b-6 Mar 1848; d-11 Oct 1856 in Florence Nebraska
8. Nephi Keetch b-10 Mar 1849; d-21 Oct 1849
9. Joseph Hyrum Keetch b-2 Dec 1850; d-30 May 1855
10. Alma Keetch b-14 Feb 1853; d-10 July 1854
11. Ann Maria Keetch b-25 Feb 1855; m-John Stevenson; d-16 Aug 1902 in Omaha Nebraska

The LDS missionaries found them in England and the parents and the four oldest children, Charles G, Alfred G, Elizabeth and Emma joined the church.  William did missionary work for some time and was a branch president.  On May 4 1856, William and his family immigrated to American, sailing on the ship Thornton from Liverpool England.  They arrived at Iowa City June 26 and from there went to Florence Nebraska.  The company had a lot of trouble and several were sick with chills and fever.  William's wife and son William died there.  They were in debt so much, it took them a long time to get out.  After Charles sweetheart, Mercy Truth Barker,  joined them from England, they left in 1861.  William crossed the plains with his daughter and husband in 1875 and arrived in Bear Lake in March of 1875.  He remained in Bear Lake the rest of his life living with his son in St Charles in winter and with his daughter, Elizabeth in Liberty in the summer.  He died 30 July 1888 and was buried in the Liberty cemetery.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~idbearla/williamkeetch.htm

William Marrott

I did a search on Relative Finder and found out that we have an ancestor who came in a handcart company the same year as the Martin and Willie Handcart Companies. His name is William Marrott, and he is our 3rd great grandfather. Here is some information about Henry Marrott and his wife Louisa Fowlke.

WILLIAM MARROTT, son of Charles Marrott and Mary Day, was b. 2 Apr. 1822, Barham, Huntingdon, England; chr. 7 Apr. 1822, Barham, Huntingdon, England; md. (1) 11 Mar. 1851, ANN DICKERSON, at Hamerton, Huntingdon, England; md. (2) 9 Feb. 1862, LOUISA FOWLKE, at Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; d. 20 Apr. 1900, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; bur. Apr. 1900, Plea­sant Grove, Utah, Utah.
William was born in the small village of Barham. When four years of age his father moved his family to Hamerton, Huntingdon, England, where he resided until he became a man. When he was twenty-five years of age he was elected clerk of the Hamerton Parish, where he worked for the Church of England for seven years. He also played the bass viola and the church chimes. In 1851 he married Ann Dickerson. They made their home in a cottage on the church property. Here two sons were born to them, but misfortune came when they contracted scarlet fever and both died at Hamerton, Huntingdon, England, and were buried there.
While residing at Hamerton William and his wife heard the Mormon Elders preach the Gospel. They were converted and joined the Church on 29 Oct. 1854. When this became known, they had to leave their cottage. Early in 1855 they left for America to join the Saints in Utah. On 27 Feb. 1855 the ship Siddons, under Captain Taylor, sailed from Liverpool, England, for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The ship arrived on 20 April, The emigrants traveled by rail to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Here they made arrangements for their transportation by steamboat down the Ohio River and Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri. The river passage cost $3.00 for each adult passenger, children were half price. Thirty-five cents was paid for every one hundred pounds of luggage. William and his wife arrived at St. Louis on 7 May after a pleasant passage. His wife, Ann, was frail and unused to pioneer hardships. She died at St. Louis, succumbing to the cholera epidemic that was raging. She was buried at St. Louis, Missouri.
With nothing left in life except his faith in the Gospel, William crossed the plains with the Saints in a hand cart company. They arriv­ed at Salt Lake City, 2 Sept. 1856. William went to Pleasant Grove, Utah, and the first winter lived at the home of Bishop Henson Walker. That winter was one of privation and sacrifice. Their food consisted of squash, molasses and black bread. The bread was partly made from seeds of sunflowers and squash.
In the Spring of 1861 William was called to go back across the plains with an oxen team.  He was to assist the Saints of Captain Hor­ace S. Eldredge Company into the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. His special job was that of night guard to keep the animals from straying, and to protect the camp from Indians.
Among the emigrants from England in the Eldredge Company was a pretty black-haired, blue-eyed woman. Her name was Louisa Fowlke, who had a three year old son. While crossing the plains William and Louisa became acquainted, and found that they had much in common. The next year they were married at Pleasant Grove, Utah, by Bishop Henson Wal­ker. They built a rock house in Pleasant Grove. It is still standing, homelike, and comfortable one hundred years later. William had one of the finest wells in Pleasant Grove near to his house, which furnished clear and cool water for the family. The walks around their home were laid in large flat stones. In this home they reared fifteen children, including three sets of twins.
The following" is a favorite song of William Marrott, that he often sang after coming to Utah:
DO THEY EVER PRAY FUR ME AT HOME
by T.H. Tenney
Do they ever pray for me at home
When the Summer birds appear?
Do they pray for me the while that my
Path may be less drear?
At the home of early youth
Do they place the vacant chair,
Where my heart so oft returns
To the loved ones gathered there?
Do they ever pray for me at home?
Do they ever pray for me at home
When the winds for Winter blow?
Do they pray for me with love
As they watch the Winter's snow?
In the seasons chilly cold
Are their hearts for me still warm?
Am I cherished still of old
Through the beating of the storm?
Do they ever pray for me at home?
Do they ever pray for me
When I ride the dark sea foam,
When I cross the stormy sea?
Oh, how oft in foreign lands
As I see the bended knee
Comes the thought at twilight hour
Do they ever pray for me?
William was an outstanding individual of honesty, reliability, and industry. He labored from day light until dark on his farm, taking a great deal of pride in his vegetables and crops. After his work was fin­ished for the day he would help with many of the tasks in the home. Other people would engage him a season ahead to cut and stack their grain, because he did it so well. He would cut the grain by hand, nearly as even as the machine does today. He did most of his farming with an ox called Old Tom- Everyone in town knew and had a deep affection for Old Tom. At one time when the threshing crew was at the Marrott home, each man had received his share of grain, and they went into the house for dinner. One of the men went outside to see why William was still at work, and found him adding an extra measure of grain to each sack from his own share.
In the Winter he would shell corn to pay for his children's school­ing. Money was very scarce, and only two or three children could attend school at any one time. The cost was three dollars a term for each child. William saw that each child received the same amount of schooling.
William lead the singing in the High Priest Quorum, and was interest­ed music all his life* He assisted the tithing clerk when tithes were collected on hay. He was very unassuming. His honesty and integrity were two of his outstanding characteristics. He was always ready to serve others when in need. He was highly esteemed and loved by all who knew him. He died 20 Apr. 1900 at Pleasant Grove, Utah.


LOUISA FOWLKE, dau. of John Fowlke and Harriet Raynor, was b. 26 May 1840, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. (1) 9 Feb. 1862, WILLIAM MARROTT, at Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. (2) 8 Feb. 1901, LORENZO WALDRAM, at Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; d. 29 Jan. 1913, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; bur. at Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah.
Louisa was born at Nottingham, England. The missionaries contacted their family, and Louisa was the first member of her family to join the Church. She was only fourteen years of age at the time. Her parents and the younger members of the family also joined the Church. Later they came to America on the ship Underwriter. The voyage took six weeks to cross the ocean. Sometimes the ship wouldn't make any progress because of the lack of wind to fill their sails. They were city people and used to city life. When they arrived in America and started across the coun­try they were unaccustomed to the hardships and way of life that lay before them. They came to Utah in the Horace S. Eldredge Company. They cared for and drove an oxen team across the plains. They arrived at Salt Lake City on 15 Sept. 1861. Louisa walked much of the way across the plains to Utah, and waded many of the streams. When at Florence, Nebraska, the Saints suffered much from the severe rain and thunder storms.
While crossing the plains to Utah, Louisa became acquainted with William Marrott, who had crossed the plains from Utah to met and help members of the Eldredge Company get to Utah. They had many things in common. They were married at Pleasant Grove, Utah, by Bishop Henson Walker. Louisa had two children at the time of her marriage. She and William had thirteen children, including three sets of twins.
Louisa and her husband built a rock house for their family, and dug a well for water. The walks around their home were laid with large flat stones. Louisa endured many hardships and privations typical of the early pioneer life. She struggled along with her husband to provide for their large family. Clothes used by the family were made at home, and few in number. She swept her floors with a sage brush broom. Often she had to stay alone with the children while her husband was on guard for Indians. When the soldiers, known as Johnson's Army, came through Pleasant Grove, they camped near their home. Her motto in life was economy, industry and cleanliness, and to live within one's income. This she tried to impress upon her children.
Louisa lived for thirteen years after her husband died in 1900. She married Loranzo Waldram in 1901 at Pleasant Grove, Utah. He died in 1906. Louisa died in 1913, and at the time of her death she had eleven surviving children, forty-seven grandchildren, and ten great­ grandchildren.

William Marrott md. (1) 11 Mar. 1851, ANN DICKERSON, at Hamerton, Huntingdon, England. She was b. 15 Mar. 1831, Winwick, Huntingdon, Eng­land; dau. of William Dickerson and Frances Dunkley; d. 14 May 1855, St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri; bur. at St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri. William and Ann had the following children:
1. Isaac Marrott, b. 20 Dec. 1851, Hamerton, Huntingdon, England; d. 25 Aug. 1854, Hamerton, Huntingdon, England; unmd.
2. Enos Marrott, b. 27 Jan. 1854, Hamerton, Huntingdon, England; d. 27 Aug. 1854, Hamerton, Huntingdon, England; unmd.

William Marrott md. (2) LOUISA FOWLKE, and they had the follow­ing children:

* 1. Arthur Marrott (#), b. 28 Jan. 1858, Nottingham, Nottingham, Eng­land; md. 25 Nov. 1880, Selena Martha Stradling; d. 9 Feb. 1901.
2. Frederick Marrott (#), b. 8 Jan. 1862, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; d. 28 Feb. 1865, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; unmd.
* 3. Mary Eveline Marrott (twin), b. 12 Feb. 1865, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. 26 Nov. 1890, John Alma Adamson; d. 11 Oct. 1927.
* 4. Charles Alfred Marrott (twin), b. 12 Feb. 1865, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. 22 June 1911, Eliza Priscilla Davis; d. 29 Apr. 1936.
* 5. Clara Ellen Marrott, b. 8 Jan. 1867, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. 14 Dec. 1887, William Alexander Bullock; d. 4 Aug. 1934.
* 6. William Henry Marrott, b. 1 Feb. 1869, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. 2 May 1894, Effie Deane Bullock; d. 15 Sept. 1918.
* 7. John Thomas Marrott (twin), b. 20 July 1871, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; d. 8 Mar. 1924; unmd.
* 8. Emma Louisa Marrott, (twin), b. 20 July 1871, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. (1) 1 Apr. 1914, William Henry Armitstead; md (2) 26 Oct. 1926, Stephen Ellis Huff; d. 24 July 1948.
* 9. Albert Laurence Marrott, b. 10 Sept. 1873, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. 11 Dec. 1901, Margaret Jane Thorne; d. 16 Mar. 1925.
* 10. Rosetta Marrott, b. 20 Feb. 1876, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. 7 Mar. 1900, Hyrum Sanford Weeks; d. 15 Apr. 1950.
* 11. Sadie Marrott, b. 26 July 1877, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. 9 June 1896, Herman Green; d. 25 July 1917.
* 12. Lewis Marrott, b. 19 Jan. 1880, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. 22 Dec. 1903, Ann Effie Fisher.
13. Joseph Marrott, b. 10 Mar. 1882, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; d. 10 Mar. 1882; unmd.
14. Ether Marrott, (male, twin), b. 10 Aug. 1883, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; d. 24 Nov. 1883; unmd.
* 15. Eva Marrott, (twin), b. 10 Aug. 1883, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; md. 24 Sept. 1902, Alroy Hooley West; d. 4 Jan. 1958.

Louisa Fowlke md. (2) LORENZO WALDRAM, 8 Feb. 1901, at Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah. He was b. 14 July 1825, Narrow Marsh, Nottingham, England; son of Thomas Waldram and Mary Johnson; d. 30 Oct. 1906, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah. No children.

---

This information comes from:
"A Genealogy of William Marrott and Louisa Fowlke Latter Day Saint Pioneers" by Kenneth C. Bullock, Author, Editor & Complier.  Published at Provo, Utah, 1965.

http://fowlkefamily.org/Louisa_Fowlke_William_Marriott_histories.html

1920 Census

I found this document on the Family Search website and thought I'd add it to the blog. It is a 1920 census that lists Monroe Bingham, his wife, and four of their children.