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Rosa was born in the Canton of Luzern, in Switzerland ("possibly" near Romoos).
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She was the daughter of Joseph Koch Sr. and his wife Catherina Zemp, of the Canton of Luzern, in Switzerland
(per her marriage certificate).
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Note: PLEASE, do NOT transfer this
memorial to other web sites.
Thanks, Nancy (Letcher) Heib.
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Rosa's mother Catherina, died from child birth, when Rosa's brother Joseph Koch was born (in 1868), when Rosa was three years old. Joseph's sisters helped raise him (per Joseph's granddaughter Mary Frances (Para) Mensi).
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Rosa immigrated to the U.S. on May 9, 1892 at Ellis Island, New York, at the age of...
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Rosa was born in the Canton of Luzern, in Switzerland ("possibly" near Romoos).
--------------------------------
She was the daughter of Joseph Koch Sr. and his wife Catherina Zemp, of the Canton of Luzern, in Switzerland
(per her marriage certificate).
---------------------------------
Note: PLEASE, do NOT transfer this
memorial to other web sites.
Thanks, Nancy (Letcher) Heib.
---------------------------------
Rosa's mother Catherina, died from child birth, when Rosa's brother Joseph Koch was born (in 1868), when Rosa was three years old. Joseph's sisters helped raise him (per Joseph's granddaughter Mary Frances (Para) Mensi).
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Rosa immigrated to the U.S. on May 9, 1892 at Ellis Island, New York, at the age of 26 (almost 27). (On the ship, she is listed in a section for "single" women).
She traveled on a ship named the "La Bourgogne". The "port of departure" is listed as "Harve" (La Harve, France).
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Three of Rosa's siblings also immigrated to the United States (seperately). See their memorials (with photos), on this web site:
1. Joseph Koch Sr. of Memphis, Tenn.
2. Mary (Koch) Duerbusch of Tennessee.
3. Magdalena (Koch) Letcher, of Illinois.
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Rosa was married on June 6, 1893, to Alex Keller, the son of Martin Keller and his wife Elizabeth Mayer, at the Sts. Peter and Paul (Catholic) Church in Naperville, DuPage County Illinois, by August Wenker, Catholic Priest. Rosa's brother Joseph Koch and her sister Mary Koch, both served as wittiness's.
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Two of Rosa's siblings, Joseph and Mary, were both also married at the Sts. Peter and Paul (Catholic) Church in Naperville, DuPage County, Illinois.
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The 1900 census shows Rosa and Alex Keller,
living in DuPage township, Romeoville Village,
in Will County Illinois.
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The 1910 census shows Alex and Rosa Keller living with their seven children, in Bloomingdale, DuPage County Illinois.
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In 1913, Rosa was living with her husband and children on the Colterman family farm, which they had been renting, near the town of Swift, two miles North of Lombard, DuPage County Illinois (N.-E. of Naperville).
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Rosa and her husband Allex Keller purchased a fourty acre fruit farm in Buchanan township, near Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan in 1913, but before they were able to move, Alex passed away on July 15, 1913, on the Colterman farm in DuPage County Illinois. Rosa and her seven children then moved from DuPage County Illinois, to Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan later in 1913.
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Note: Rosa's nephew Joseph George Letcher, the son of Rosa's sister Magdalena (Koch) Letcher, had moved from Naperville, DuPage County Ilinois, to Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan in 1912.
John Neff (a relative, possibly Rosa's cousin), who lived near Naperville, Illinois, and later moved to Buchanan, Michigan, where his daughter was born in 1912.
(Could Joseph Letcher and John Neff have followed one another to Buchanan, Michigan?)
Rosa's nephew Alois Letcher (Joseph's brother), later moved from Naperville, DuPage County Illinois, to a farm near Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan, which he purchased in 1919.
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Rosa's nephews Joseph G. Letcher and Alois Letcher, are also buried, in this Oak Ridge cemetery.
John Neff ("possibly" Rosa's cousin, who was also born in Switzerland), is buried in the Calvary Cemetery, in Niles, Michigan.
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Four of Rosa's children (Edward, Tillie, Mary Ann, and William), married siblings of the "Marsh" family in Buchanan, Michigan. They were the children of Thomas Alonzo Marsh and his wife Margaret K. Fedore. A good number of Rosa's children and also their spouses, worked at the "Clark Equipment Company" in Buchanan, Michigan.
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The seven children of Alex Keller
and his wife Rosa Koch are:
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1. Edward August Keller (of Monroe,
Shelby County Iowa in 1930, and
Marne, Cass County Iowa in 1940-1971).
b. Feb. 15, 1894 in DuPage Co. Illinois.
m. # 1. Kate ("Kattie") Margaret MARSH,
on Jan. 3, 1915, in Buchanan,
Berrien County Michigan, the youngest
child of Thomas Alonzo Marsh and his
wife Margaret K. Fedore.
(Edward age 21, and Kattie age 16).
Edward and Kate had one son:
George E. Keller
b. March 28, 1916, in Berrien Co. MI.
d. Aug. 10, 1938, in Cass Co. Iowa.
Edward's first wife "Kattie" Keller
died on Oct. 27, 1918, in Buchanan
township, Berrien County Michigan,
at the age of 19 years, and 3 months.
Kate is buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery,
in Buchanan, MI (Section C, Lot 38).
m. # 2. Martha Peterson, on
Sept. 4, 1920, in Berrien Co. MI.
Martha is the daughter of Christian
and Emma Peterson.
Edward and Martha had one child:
Arlie Ransome Keller.
b. April 19, 1920, in Buchanan,
Berrien County Michigan
(or 1921?).
m. Arlie married Dorothy Schroeder on
Aug. 25, 1943, in Omaha, Nebraska.
They had six children:
Juanita Kise, Patricia Follmann,
Linda Schade, Barbara Figgins,
Edward Keller, and Connie Scott.
d. Arlie died on Tuesday,
April 6, 2010, in
Atlantic, Cass County Iowa.
Buried; Atlantic Cemetery,
Atlantic, Cass County Iowa.
To see Arlie's obituary, google
his name with "Roland Funeral Home".
Edward was living in Marne, Iowa,
in 1955, 1958, 1962, and 1971
(per his sibling's obituaries).
d. Edward died on Aug. 9, 1973,
in Marne, Cass County Iowa.
Buried: Brighton Cemetery,
N.-E. of Marne, Cass County Iowa.
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2. Franklin ("Frank") Joseph Keller, of Buchanan, MI.
b. April 1, 1895 in DuPage County Illinois. Frank's godmother was Rosa's sister Maria (Mary) Koch.
m. # 1. Alta Mae Weatherwax,
on Oct. 12, 1914.
m. # 2. Mildred F. Baker,
on Dec. 28, 1938.
Died: Jan. 14, 1955, N.-W. of
Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan,
age 59.
Buried: Oak Ridge Cemetery
(Section C. Lot 9).
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3. Tillie Louise Keller, of Buchanan, MI
(Also listed as "Matilda").
b. Nov. 3, 1896 in DuPage County Illinois. Tillie's godparents were Rosa's brother Joseph Koch and his wife Tillie.
m. # 1. Alva Jarvius MARSH,
son of Thomas A. Marsh and
Margaret K. Fedore,
on April 15, 1914, in Buchanan, MI.
(Listed as "Matilda" Keller, on
record of marriage).
(Alva Marsh died in 1928).
m. # 2. Bonnie Lesel Florey,
on May 20, 1939.
(Bonnie Florey died in 1963).
Her children included:
Clarence Marsh Sr.,
Herbert Marsh, Thomas Alonzo Marsh,
and Mrs. Mildred (Marsh) Strauss.
d. Aug. 12, 1971, in the Pawating
Hospital, in Niles, Michigan, age 74.
Buried: Oak Ridge Cemetery
(Section C, Lot 39).
Note: Her grandson Clarence Marsh Jr.
served as the President of the
Village of Galien, in Berrien Co. MI
(West of Buchanan).
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4. Albert Robert Keller, of Buchanan, MI.
b. Feb. 17, 1899 in Naperville, DuPage County Illinois. Albert's godmother was Rosa's sister, Maria (Mary) (Koch) Duerbusch.
m. Julia Emma Fuller, on Aug. 27, 1919, in St. Joseph, Berrien County Michigan, the daughter of Charles Edward Fuller and Emma N. Tomlinson.
Children: Vernice, Clifford, Ivan,
Donald Leroy, Annabell,
and Doris M. Keller.
d. June 28, 1958, in the Pawating
Hospital, in Niles, Berrien County
Michigan, age 59 (per obit).
Buried Oak Ridge cemetery
(Section A, lot 336).
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5. Mary Ann Keller, of Buchanan, MI.
b. March 14, 1900 in DuPage County Illinois.
m. George Earl MARSH, on April 9, 1916,
in Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan,
the son of Thomas A. Marsh and
Margaret K. Fedore.
Children: Esther, Raymond, Gaylord,
Donald Dale, Betty Jane, and George Marsh.
d. Nov. 25, 1949, in Buchanan township,
Berrien County Michigan, age 49.
Buried: Oak Ridge Cemetery
(Section D, lot 92).
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6. William W. Keller, of Buchanan, MI.
b. Sept. 14, 1903 in DuPage County Illinois.
m. Mabel Esther MARSH, on June 23, 1922,
in Saint Joseph, Berrien County Michigan,
the daughter of Thomas A. Marsh and
Margaret K. Fedore.
Occupation: Machinist.
d. Aug. 11, 1962, in the Pawating
Hospital, in Niles,
Berrien County Michigan, age 59.
Buried: Oak Ridge Cemetery
(Section D, lot 92).
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7. Henry Ralph Keller.
b. July 10, 1907 in DuPage County Illinois. Henry's godparents were Edward Keller and Colletta Hoffman.
Living as a single man, with his mother, in Dayton (on the S.-W. side of Buchanan), Berrien County Michigan in 1940.
m. Henry, age 44 was married to Mrs. Helen Garnette (Rapp) Drake, age 55, on May 11, 1952, in Cass County Michigan. Helen was the daughter of Adam C. Rapp and his wife Emma Williams. (Helen was born in 1897, and died in 1972). Helen is buried in the Saint Joseph Valley Memorial Park, in Granger, Saint Joseph County Indiana, as "Helen G. Drake", next to her first husband Hugh W. Drake, and their daughter Alice (Drake) Nevins.
Henry later lived in South Bend, Indiana, in 1955 through 1971 (per his siblings obituaries).
d. Dec. 18, 1991 in South Bend,
St. Joseph County Indiana.
Buried: Oak Ridge Cemetery,
in Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan,
next to his mother
(in Section A, lot 346).
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Six of Rosa's seven children, are
buried in this Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Rosa's eldest child Edward, is buried
in Marne, Cass County Iowa.
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Note: The Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Naperville, DuPage County Illinois has baptism records for all of Rosa's children, except for perhaps, the eldest child, Edward. This church holds a lot of history for Rosa's family and the families of her three siblings. Many of the Koch, Keller, Letcher, and Duerbusch families, had weddings, funerals, and baptisms there.
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In the 1940 census, Rosa is living
in Dayton (on the S.- W. side of
Buchanan), Berrien County Michigan,
with her youngest son, Henry Keller,
age 32.
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Rosa died in the Pawating Hospital (later called "Lakeland Medical Center"), in Niles, Berrien County Michigan, at the age of 75, after a one month illness. Rosa had been living with her youngest son Henry Keller in Bakertown, on the S.-W. side of Buchanan, Michigan.
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Rosa's obituary was published on the front page of the "Berrien County Record" newspaper in Buchanan, Michigan on Thurs. Sept. 5, 1940. It reads as follows:
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Mrs. Rosa Keller, Called by Death. Native of Switzerland Is Survived by 5 Sons, 2 Daughters. Last rites were held at 10 a. m. Wednesday at St. Anthony's Roman Catholic church for Mrs. Rosa Keller, 75, with Rev. Father Julius Bona in charge and burial was made in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Mrs. Keller died at 4:05 a.m. Monday in the Pawating hospital, after an illness of a month. She was born in Switzerland May 17, 1864 [it "should" say 1865], coming to the United States in her youth [in 1892, age 26]. She married Alex Keller at Naperville, Illinois, in 1893. He preceded her in death many years ago [in 1913]. She came to Buchanan from near Naperville, Ill., in 1913. She made her home with a son, Henry Keller, at Bakertown. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Tillie Florey and Mrs. Mary Marsh, both of Buchanan: by five sons, Edward Keller, Marne, Iowa: Frank Keller, Rural Route 2, Buchanan: Albert and William Keller of Buchanan: Henry Keller of Bakertown: by one sister, Mrs. Mary Duerbusch, Memphis, Tenn. A rosary had been said for her at the Swem Funeral home at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
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Note: The "year of birth" stated in her obituary must be a typing error. Her headstone and the cemetery records give her year of birth as 1865 (which would coincide with her age of 75 years as given in her obituary).
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Rosa was a member of the St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church in Buchanan, Michigan, (as were her nephews, Joseph G. and Alois Letcher).
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Rosa is buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Buchanan, Michigan, next to her youngest son Henry Keller, in Section A, Lot 346. (They are buried in the very first row on the right, as you enter the cemetery through the main entrance, off of Terre Coupe Street).
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Note: Rosa's husband Alex Keller, died on the Colterman family farm, that he and Rosa had been renting, near the town of "Swift", which is about two miles North of Lombard, DuPage County Illinois (N.-E. of Naperville, Illinois).
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Alex Keller is buried in the St. Michael's Cemetery in Wheaton, DuPage County Illinois. His headstone reads:
HERE RESTS
ALEX KELLER
BORN JULY 19, 1860
DIED JULY 15, 1913
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Note: Most of the information on Rosa's
children, is courtesy of Rosa's Great
grandson Clarence Marsh Jr. (the grandson
of Rosa's daughter Tillie).
Clarence Marsh Jr. was the President of
the Village of Galien, Berrien Co. Michigan.
He served as a helicopter pilot in the
U.S. Air Force in Japan from 1953-1957.
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See the memorials (with photos), for Rosa's two nephews (the sons of her sister Magdalena), who also moved from Naperville, DuPage County Illinois, to Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan:
Joseph George Letcher (1883-1959) of MI.
Alois Letcher, of Michigan.
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Also see the memorial for their long-time
Priest of the Sts. Peter and Paul
(Catholic) Church in Naperville, Illinois,
Rev. August Wenker (of Illinois)
on this web site.
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Click on: "Find all Keller's in
Oak Ridge Cemetery" (in the left column).
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Click on photos for enlargements,
captions, and additional photos.
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