One of the wonders of the internet and doing family history research in the modern age is finding hidden treasures. I recently came across this wonderful photo of Chester Reynald Keele (on the left) and his brother Lester Englestead Keele shared by a distant cousin of the Keele family. What a treasure! He is so young! None of us would ever have known him this way.
Chester was the eleventh of twelve children born to Thomas Henry Keele and Margaret Ann Englestead.
"After Lester, the last son was born, their father Thomas Henry Keele went out into the hills to get a big load of wood for his family as it was winter time and very cold. And while he was doing this a voice said, “This is the last wood you will ever haul.” He took the wood to his wife and family who were living in town to escape smallpox and returned back to his farm where his oldest son, Thomas, was very ill with the disease. Henry took the disease and died without ever seeing his wife and family again."*
Thomas Henry died of smallpox in 1900. He was 43 and young Chester was only three years old. So essentially Chester grew up without knowing his father.
Another photo found of Chester and five of his siblings. From left to right back row: Jennie, Alice, Chastie, Sylvia. Front row Chester and Lester.
Many of the Chester's grandchildren grew up knowing "Grandpa Keele" and worked and played on his farm near Rock Island, Washington. I would encourage each of you to share a memory that you have and give "life" to his story. Help your grandchildren to know their great-great-grandpa.
What do you remember?
Chester Reynald Keele
father of:
Cleo K. Keele
Chester Gale Keele
Alice Fern Keele
mother to:
Janice
Elizabeth Keele
Ramona Mae Keele
Velva Jean Keele
mother to:
Donna
Nancy
Bill Jr.
Ron
Russ
Wayne
Lawanna Pauline Keele
mother to:
John
Candy
Randy
Jerry
*"The Jolley Family Book" published by Brigham Young University Press 1966, written by Bryant Manning Jolley and his committee."
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