Biography of John H. Keppelman

JOHN H. KEPPELMAN

Source: Pennsylvania, A History, George P. Donehoo, (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1926), p. 173

Surnames: Keppelman, Beltz, Bower, Brown, Ermentrout, Beacher, Seiders, Veasey,
Wolf, Schroeder, Rowe, Frees, Arthur, Moyer

Seldom is a city more deeply moved by grief than was the case in
Reading on August 9, 1924, when John H. Keppelman passed from a life of
signal devotion to civic duty and individual effort. The outstanding
position attained by this upright and worthy citizen gave him a wide
influence in the progress of city, county and commonwealth, while to
the group which came in close personal touch with his varied and
far-seeing activities his entire life was a record of extraordinary
usefulness – an example honored in countless cases by the sincere
compliment of emulation. The phase of his career most clearly
recognized, and perhaps most significant to the general well-being, was
his unfailing attitude of interest in and benevolence towards others.
Mr. Keppelman was a singularly selfless man. His laurels of
achievement were striven for and won in the promotion of the public
good, and no effort so fully aroused his enthusiasm or absorbed his
energies as did the many movements which he instituted or led looking
towards the public good. He was universally known in this city and as
universally esteemed and beloved.

Keppelman-Van Keppel-Von Keppel Arms – Per fess argent and sable, in
chief a man issuant, habited gules, wearing a pointed cap of the same,
and holding a sword of the first, garnished or; in base a lion passant
of the last.

Crest – Out of a ducal coronet the man issuant, between a pair of
wings, the dexter per fess gules and argent, the sinister or and sable.
Mantling – Dexter, or and sable; sinister, argent and gules.

The Keppelman name is one of great honor in Germany, and John
Keppelman, grandfather of John H. Keppelman, was a distinguished
soldier, who fought under Napoleon. Participating in the battle of
Wagram with signal courage, John Keppelman was awarded two medals in
honor of his service to the cause and his valor in action. These
medals are now in the possession of his descendants and comprise one of
their most highly prized heirlooms. John Keppelman died at forty-six
years of age, but his wife survived for many years, living to the great
age of ninety years. They were the parents of four children, their
son, John Joseph Conrad Keppelman, having been the only one to become a
resident of the United States.

John Joseph Conrad Keppelman, son of John Keppelman, and father of
John H. Keppelman, was born in Baden-Baden, Germany, in 1827, and there
learned the trade of locksmith. At the age of twenty-one he left home
and country to come to America, and for a time resided at Pottsville,
Pennsylvania. Shortly afterward he came to Reading and here became
largely successfully in the foundry business, conducting an extensive
interest over a period of many years. He maintained and operated three
plants, one on North Sixth Street, another on North Fifth Street, and a
third in the locality known as Riverside. He died in 1909. His name
is still remembered and honored both in business and social circles in
Reading. He married Christiana Bower, daughter of John and Wilhelmina
(Beltz) Bower, and they were the parents of ten children: 1. William,
who married Ella Brown. 2. John H., of further mention. 3. Emma, who
married Dr. Samuel Ermentrout. 4. Edward, who married Ella Beacher.
5. Howard, who married Ida Seiders. 6. Ida, who married Joseph Veasey.
7. Katharine, who married Dr. F. X. Wolf. 8. Albert, who married
Catharine Schroeder. 9. Theodore, who married Sallie Rowe. 10.
Florence, now the wife of Howard Frees. Christiana Keppelman, the
mother of these children, is still living and is ninety-two years of
age.

John H. Keppelman, son of John Joseph Conrad and Christiana (Bower)
Keppelman, was born at Reading, Pennsylvania, February 16, 1853.
Receiving his education in the public schools there, he was graduated
from the high school in the class of 1870. He then learned a practical
trade, that of moulder, in his father’s foundry. Following his trade
for some nine years, Mr. Keppelman then became identified with the
public service in the capacity of city clerk of Reading, which office
he ably filled from 1879 to 1884. Later, in 1887, he accepted the
office of superintendent of the Consumers’ Gas Company, which is one of
the widely important enterprises of the city of Reading, and Mr.
Keppelman’s responsibilities were of an exacting nature. He
nevertheless, went forward with efficiency and ability, his supervision
of the activities of the concern counting in a large measure for the
daily welfare of the people through the excellent service which they
received. His associates in the organization, without exception, held
him in the highest regard, while in business circles his administration
of its affairs was commended in the highest terms. Mr. Keppelman
filled various other public responsibilities, having served as
councilman from the Sixth Ward from 1885 to 1897, the early part of
that period in the Common Council, but the latter eight years in the
Select body. Mr. Keppelman’s alert attention to the needs of the
people always constituted a determining factor in his activities, and
during this period of twelve years he did much to improve conditions,
especially in fostering and bringing to successful accomplishment such
important necessities as the early sewer system and the paving of the
streets. Of this early civic leadership a local daily newspaper said
in an extended review of his life:

Doubtless the most notable service rendered Reading by the late John
H. Keppelman during his career of twenty years as a city official was
the movement which he fathered and which resulted in the first paved
streets and the first house sewers being installed here.

From the time that he began his career as a public official with his
election as city clerk, Mr. Keppelman applied himself diligently to an
exhaustive study of municipal matters. His wide knowledge of city
affairs was recognized throughout the State, and he frequently was
consulted and his opinions obtained on many important questions dealing
with municipal government.

When he began his career as a public official Reading was just about
in its formative period as a municipality. Mr. Keppelman was quick to
see the necessity for beginning permanent public improvements and much
of his time and effort as a public official was devoted to this end.

A loyal Democrat since the attainment of his majority, Mr. Keppelman
held the public good above merely partisan consideration, and was
therefore never considered a politician, rather a servant of the
people. On many occasions his colleagues in civic endeavor tried to
persuade him to accept the nomination for mayor of the city of Reading,
but he consistently declined this honor, although among his friends it
was felt that his eminent qualifications for this position made his
reluctance to accept it a regrettable fact. A characteristic phase of
Mr. Keppelman’s usefulness in whatever matter engaged his attention was
his minute thoroughness. No proposal for civic projects or public
works could be brought to his attention without his informing himself
exhaustively regarding every aspect of its cost, its value to the
municipality, its probable permanence and its general feasibility.
Another important public service which he rendered was his promotion
and championship of the filtering of the city’s water supply, which
involved a loan of $500,000, and it was unquestionably due, in a great
measure, to his ceaseless labors that it was accomplished. That was
done in 1907, and some three years later he made many stirring speeches
for the loan of $1,275,000 then proposed for general public
improvements.

No record of Mr. Keppelman’s usefulness as a citizen would be
complete without mention of his first service of a public nature.
Always appreciative of his own educational opportunities, although
these were limited to the public schools, Mr. Keppelman opened, almost
immediately following his graduation, an evening school for young men.
He chose a location in the northwestern part of the city, which was
then known as Ricktown. There centered the brick yards and other
industrial plants, where much cheap labor was employed, principally
youths under the majority, who had little or no education. He took
over the direction of their part time studies in this way, and such was
his kindly brotherly attitude and manner that they made of him their
friend and confidant in many of their problems outside of the school
routine. It is said that a great number of these young men now trace
their subsequent success to this benevolent work carried on by a youth,
who at that time was one of their age. This enterprise as the more
noteworthy, considering the fact that educational legislation was then
a matter undreamed of and no opportunities were available for this
stratum of society. The Nursery Literary Association, which was one of
the influential organizations in educational affairs in Reading for
many years, was the direct outgrowth of this early school conducted by
Mr. Keppelman. Many instances of the good which he did could be
enumerated in detail, were it not for the fact that his extensive
benevolences and charities were never heralded and rarely acknowledged
even among his closest friends.

Fraternally, he became affiliated, in 1881, with Teutonia Lodge, No.
367, Free and Accepted Masons, of which his father was the founder and
first Master, and he later became affiliated with the various Scottish
Rite bodies of the order, including Harrisburg Consistory, Ancient
Accepted Scottish Rite, is a Noble of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles
of the Mystic Shrine, of Reading, the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks, and he was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the
Wyomissing Club. Mr. Keppelman, himself, was a leading spirit in the
organization of Reading Council, Royal Arcanum, which is now one of the
thriving fraternal orders of this city. He served as president of the
Board of Trade for a number of years, was long a director of the First
National Bank, was a director of the Colonial Trust Company, served for
a number of years on the board of managers of the Reading Public
Library, and was president, manager and a director of the Consumers’
Gas Company. Mr. Keppelman was one of the fore-members of the Keystone
Hook & Ladder Company, and so highly was he regarded in this
organization that the hall and apparatus of the company were draped in
mourning for thirty days following his death. One of his great
services to the community was his activity as a director of the
Reading-Berks County Safety Council and that body, shortly after his
decease, passed the following resolutions:

WHEREAS, the board of directors of the Reading-Berks County Safety
Council has learned, with regret, of the death of Mr. John H.
Keppelman;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the board record its appreciation of
Mr. Keppelman’s service to this community both as a public official and
private citizen, his leadership in business and particularly his
interest in public safety as manifested in his work as president of
this organization, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Reading-Berks County Safety Council
offer to his family its sincere sympathy.

Many personal expressions of the esteem and affection borne toward
this remarkable man among his contemporaries were brought out by his
death, of which the following, from a lifelong friend, finds place in
this record:

His grasp on detail during the entire period of his incumbency of
the office of city clerk made him of marked value in that position, and
his knowledge of city affairs has probably never been excelled by any
predecessor or successor. He carried that thoroughness into the work
of his later years, a trait that gave him the highest position in the
company whose destiny he guided for a number of years.

It falls to the lot of few executives to be held in greater esteem
by those under them than was the portion of Mr. Keppelman. The
Consumers’ Gas Company had no labor troubles under his leadership.
Every employee regarded him as a personal friend, to whom they went in
time of trouble, and no appeal was ever disregarded by him. Only a few
of his closest personal friends had even a faint idea of his charities,
which were legion.

John H. Keppelman married, in 1876, Mary E. Arthur, of Reading,
daughter of Colonel John E. and Rebecca P. (Moyer) Arthur. Mrs.
Keppelman preceded her husband in death by two years, having died
August 10, 1922. Their children were three, and are: 1. John Arthur, a
biography of whom follows. 2. Edith, deceased in infancy. 3. Robert,
who passed away in the flower of his youth.