Joseph Knerr Kehler ^{2 3}

   FamilySearch ID: 9CF2-DK5.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Book: Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania : biography of J. K. Kehler, 1893. ¹
J. K. Kehler, a successful retired business man of Shenandoah, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, was born in Eldred township, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, on May 10, 1827. He is the son of John and Catherine (Knerr) Kehler.

The Kehler family have been natives of Schuylkill county, for the past three or four generations. Grandfather John Kehler was born in Eldred township (at that time Mahantonga township), Schuylkill county, and was by trade a tailor. Later in life , however, he retired to a farm and passed the remainder of his days in agricultural pursuits. He was joined in wedlock with Catherine Hepler, who bore him eight children, five sons and three daughters. In his church connections, he was a loyal member of the Evangelical church.

John Kehler, father, was born upon the Kehler homestead in the township of Eldred and county of Schuylkill, in the year 1803, and died in the vicinity of his birth-place during the year 1865. He was a farmer by occupation, a member of the Evangelical church, and politically gave his support to the Republican party, subsequent to Buchanan's administration. His marriage bore fruit in the birth of ten children, seven sons and three daughters.

J. K. Kehler was united in marriage with Catherine Hepler, a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Houck) Hepler of Mahanoy Valley, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, on December 18, 1847. His marriage has been productive of a family of eight children, five sons and three daughters : Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Glenwright, in the employ of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, and a resident of Minersville, Schuylkill county ; Miranda, married to Sylvester Yost, assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Shenandoah ; Augustus, married to Mary J. Glenwright, and now deceased; Joseph H., married to Catherine Snyder, and now residing in Shenandoah, where he is in the employ of the United States postal service ; Monroe H., a former grocer of Shenandoah, married to Angeline Johnson ; Oscar S., a dry-goods merchant of. Shenandoah, united in marriage with Alice Snyder ; Edwin deceased, and Ida M., at home.

Mr. Kehler was reared upon his father's farm, and followed the occupation of a farmer in Eldred township, this county, for a period of eleven years. At the termination of this time, he engaged in merchandizing, which he continued for two years, and then removed to Deep Creek, where he conducted the store for one year, afterwards returning to Eldred town- ship, where he again resumed farming, and so continued for an additional period of seven years. Subsequent to this time, he removed to Locust Dale, and conducted a hotel and store in conjunction, which engaged his attention until March, 1867. Since that time he has been a resident of Shenandoah City, where he continued in the mercantile business until his retirement in 1885. Politically, he is a republican, and filled the office of borough treasurer for five years. He is a member of the Evangelical church, and of Washington Camp, No. 112, Patriotic Order Sons of America.

Joseph married Catherine Haupt Hepler on 18 Dec 1847 in , Schuylkill, PA.¹ (Catherine Haupt Hepler was born on 27 Apr 1828 in , Jefferson, PA ^{2 5}, christened on 17 May 1828 in Upper Mahanoy Twp.: Howerter's Church, Northumberland, PA,⁵ died on 2 Apr 1912 in Shenandoah, Schuylkill, PA ² and was buried in Shenandoah Heights: Odd Fellows Cemetery, Schuylkill, PA ².)