The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-08-04
HON. E. R. KELLER.
His Death Occurred on Monday Morning
After a Weeks Illness.

Pennsylvania, died at his home on
Market street, Bloomsburg, on Mon
day morning, August Ist, 1898, aged
sixty years, five months and four days.
He was taken suddenly i'll just week
before, and remained in critical con.
dition until the end came. His dis
ease was acute Bright's disease, and
congestion of the lungs from weak
action of the heart. He was attend
ed almost constantly by Drs. Hover
of Mifflin, and Bruner and Brown oi
Bloomsbury, but careful nursing and
medical skill were not able to COM
bat the disease, and at about ten
O'Clock Sunday night the Judge be-
came unconscious, and died at 2.45
Monday morning. His wife, and two
sons, Frank A. and Fred T. are the
surviving members OF the family, and
they have the warm sympathy of the
whole county in their sudden and ter
rible affliction.
The funeral was held at the house
on Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock,
conducted by Rev. DR.. Hemingway.
The burial took place in Rosemont.
The members of the Bar attended in
a body, and the attendance of citizens
from all over the county was very
large.
During the hour of the funeral all
business places were closed.
The pail bearers were Col. Freeze,
DIR. McHenry, c. G. Barkley, w. H.
Snyder, c. c. Evans, w. S. Moyer.
Elijah r. Ikeler was born in Green
wood township, this county, February
AZ, 1898, son of Isaac Ikeler, an
old and respected farmer of that town.
ship, now deceased. At the age of
sixteen he became student at the
Greenwood Seminary, Millville, Sub
sequently he learned the miller's trade
at Millville, and on completing it
bought a part interest and continued
the business until 1865, when he
moved to Bloomsburg, meanwhile
keeping up his studies. After COM
ing here he registered as a law student
with Col. John G. Freeze in the fall
of 1864. April I, 1865 he became a
regular student in his Office, and was
admitted to the bar in May, 1867. In
1869 he was elected district attorney
and served during the first of the
'Molly Mcguire" trials, and upon the
town organization was elected its first
treasurer. Mr.. Ikeler was a Demo
crat and during the war was an active
supporter of the Union cause. In
1865 he bought the COLUMBIA DEMO
Graf and consolidated it with the
Star Of tile North, and called the
paper the Democrat and Star. He
was connected with it one year when
he sold his interest ard devoted his
time exclusively to his profession. He
married, March as, 1868, Miss Helena
Armstrong, a daughter of Ephraim
Armstrong, of Bloomsbury, and des-
cendant of the Rittenhouses, of near
Philadelphia. The ancestors of the
Ikeler family in Columbia County
were originally Germans and came to
America in 1860. The great-grand-
father of our subject was Joseph, who
settled in Belvidere, N. J. !; the name
was then spelled Eggler. He was a
farmer, and on the outbreak of the
Revolution enlisted and served on
the colonial side. His son, Andrew
J., was the founder of the family in
Columbia county. He was mai lied 1n
New Jersey to Christiana Johnson,
and was magistrate in this county
about the year 1885. He and his
wife came the entire distance from
New Jersey on horseback, bringing
with them their effects. and located
in Greenwood township, He took
up about 1000 acres which still re-
main in possession his descendants.
He was leading citizen and held
many local and county Offices. He
died in 1854 aged eighty years; his
widow in 1866, at the age of ninety.
three. Both are buried in the family
lot on the old homestead. He was fol
long time colonel of militia raised
a regiment for the war of 1872 and
led it to the field. His son, Isaac,
married Mary Taylor, a native oi
New Jersey, and they became the
parents of Elijah R. Isaac was a
farmer and highly respected citizen.
He died in 1884 at the age of eighty
years, and his wife in 1870, aged
sixty-fve years. Both are buried In
Mount Pleasant township, this county.
Mr.. Ikeler was nominated fol-
President Judge of this district by the
Democrats in August 1888. He was
elected in, November following, de-
feating H. M. Hinckley, the Republi-
.