Keith, Peter W.

KEITH, BOONE, HUNT, ABBEY, WALSWORTH, CASTNER

Posted By: Janelle Martin - volunteer (email)
Date: 4/7/2011 at 14:36:20

History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Vol. II, 1912, J.W. Lee, pp. 205-207.

Peter W. Keith, who engages in the insurance business in Blairsburg, is one of those who valiantly served the Union during the time of its terrible need in the early '60s. He was born in Washington county, Ohio, on the 8th of January, 1842, and is a son of Robert and Anna (Boone) Keith, who were born, reared and married in the Buckeye state. They came to Iowa in 1854, locating in Delaware county. This section of the state was but sparsely settled at that period, which was prior to the advent of the railroad, and the father, who was quite extensively engaged in buying hogs, used to drive them to Anamosa, the nearest shipping point. He passed the remainder of his life in Delaware county, where he died at the age of ninety years. The mother was fifty-two at the time of her death, which occurred in Keithsburg, Ohio. She was a near relative of Daniel Boone, of Kentucky pioneer fame, and in the maternal line was descended from a long lived family, her mother having passed the one hundred year mark at the time of demise. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Keith numbered five: Sylvester, who died in infancy; W. B., who is a resident of Los Angeles, California; Peter W., our subject; Mrs. Mary Hunt, who died in Kansas City, and John, a locomotive engineer on, the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, one of the company's oldest living employees, who will soon be eligible to pension.

Peter W. Keith was a lad of twelve years when his parents settled in Delaware county, where he completed his education and was reared to manhood. During the early period of the Civil war he enlisted in Company G, Sixth Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, remaining at the front for three years, his regiment being in the western army. When mustered out he returned to the home farm in Delaware county, and there engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1878. In the latter year he went to Strawberry Point, where he conducted a hotel for twenty years. During that period he began writing insurance, subsequently devoting his entire time to this business. On the 6th of April, 1911, he came to Blairsburg and has ever since made this place his home. He has here established an office and is the local representative for the Continental, Aetna, St. Paul Fire & Marine, Hawkeye of Des Moines, State of Des Moines and State of Keokuk companies, and is also agent for a number of reliable and well known life insurance companies, and is doing a good business.

Mr. Keith has been twice married, his first union being with Miss Martha Abbey, who was born at Euclid, Ohio, on the 23d of March, 1843, and died in 1902. In March, 1905, Mr. Keith was married to Miss Emma Walsworth, who was born in Adams, Jefferson, New York, on January 25, 1858. She is the elder of the two daughters born of the marriage of John C. and Sybil (Abbey) Walsworth, pioneer settlers of Delaware county, Iowa. The father was born in Adams, Jefferson county, New York, on the 26th of December, 1830, and the mother in Middlebury, Vermont, on April 5, 1830. They came to Hamilton county in 1886, locating on a farm in Blairsburg township, where the father continued his agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred on January 29, 1900. The mother passed away in 1901. Their younger daughter, Grace, is the wife of Charles Castner, who is mentioned at greater length elsewhere in this work.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Keith belong to the Congregational church, having been identified with this denomination for more than forty years, and she is one of the charter members of the Blairsburg church. Fraternally he is affiliated with Standard Lodge, No. 351, A. F. & A. M., of Waucoma; Mirabeau Chapter, No. 96, R. A. M., of Greeley, Iowa; and Language Chapter, No. 47, R. A. M., of West Union. He is also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star at Waucoma, and Waucoma Lodge, No. 303, I. O. O. F., and he was formerly a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge of Waucoma. He maintains relations with his old comrades of the field through the medium of his connection with Sutherland Post, No. 171, G. A. R., of Waucoma, of which he was commander for ten years. In politics he is a republican, and while residing in Strawberry Point served for four years as postmaster and as justice of the peace for two. He has a very pleasant home in Blairsburg and he also owns a residence property in Waucoma, while Mrs. Keith holds the title to forty acres of well improved land in Blairsburg township. They are both most estimable people and have many friends who accord them the regard and respect due those who represent the highest type of citizens.