The Lake County Times Indiana May 13, 1907 KEILMANS Celebrate Golden Wedding Pioneer merchant of Lake County and his wife honored by their friends St. John Mr. and Mrs. Frank P. KEILMAN of St. John celebrated their golden wedding anniversary yesterday. Numerous relatives from many parts of Lake County and from Chicago were present and congratulations were extended from all parts of the county. The nearest relatives present were their four daughters: Mrs. Joseph GERLACH Mrs.? Edward SCHMAL both of Chicago Mrs. John THIEL Miss Margaret of St. John Sons: Frank, William, John, George and Peter Seventeen grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. KEILMAN were married in their resident town May 14, 1857 by the Rev. Joseph Vors. Mrs. KEILMAN, who was formerly Miss Margaret SCHAEFER, is 69 years old and Mr. KEILMAN is six years her senior. The life of both is very interesting and closely connected with the business life of Lake County and St. John. Mr. KEILMAN may truly be called the "pioneer merchant" of Lake County. At the age of twelve he and his father moved from Ohio to Lake County, settled in a tract of woodland two miles north of the present site of St. John, where they built a log house in 1844. None of the neighboring towns existed then and all trading was done in Chicago. A year later Mr. KEILMAN'S father built an addition to his log house and began business with a small country store in the midst of a wilderness, and here Frank KEILMAN started his career. People came from all directions and great distances to trade at the store. As the settlement of St. John grew larger a post office was established and they moved from their first home into St. John where they had built a two-story log house, and continued their business there. Their business increased constantly and a branch real estate business was established which became and is still, one of the largest firms in the county. At present Mr. KEILMAN is assistant by his son, William F. KEILMAN, as confidential manager, and Frank THIEL, his son-in-law as bookkeeper. Although Mr. KEILMAN has reached his seventy-fifth year he is very active, being the first and last man in his work, and has missed but a few days throughout his long business career.