Govert Keppel is numbered among the successful and efficient business men of Zeeland, where he has resided for many years. He is a native of the province of South Holland, the Netherlands, and was born December 15, 1839, being the son of Huibert and Margaret (DeJong) Keppel. His paternal grandparents Teunis and Jenneke Keppel, were also of Dutch birth and parentage. Huibert Keppel was born February 12, 1805, and grew to manhood in the land of his nativity. In 1847, accompanied by his family, he took passage on a vessel bound for America, but was shipwrecked and obliged to remain in England for nine weeks before the ship could pursue its onward course. Although he left Holland in October, he did not land in New Orleans until the 14^th of the following April. Having a brother in Keokuk, Iowa, Huibert Keppel proceeded up the Mississippi River to that point, and in May, 1848, came to Zeeland, Mich., where he purchased a yoke of oxen and eighty acres of land. In addition to farming interests, he also engaged extensively in buying and selling flour, meeting with considerable success in that undertaking. Politically, he is a Republican, and has served in numerous official capacities, among which may be mentioned that of member of the School Board. In the Reformed Church he occupied the position of Deacon for many years. He is a man of energy and high capabilities, and although he has met with many obstacles in life, success has crowned his well-directed efforts and he now occupies a prominent position among the citizens of his community.

Huibert Keppel has been three times married, and by his first union had nine children, six of whom survived to mature years: Kunder, whose death occurred in Zeeland; Teunis, who enlisted in the Thirteenth Michigan Infantry, and died in the Kalamazoo Hospital; Jenneke; Govert; Herbert, who died at the age of forty-three; and Dirk, who enlisted in Compay D, Twenty-fifth Michigan Infantry, and was killed on Wilmington Island, near the city of Savannah, April 16, 1862. The mother of these children died in Holland in 1844. She was a daughter of Govert DeJong, a hotel-keeper in that country. The second wife of Mr. Keppel was Dirkje Den Hertog, who died in Zeeland. The third wife was Mrs. Boar, who is now deceased.

After carrying on his studies in the district schools for a few years, our subject began to make his own way in the world, at the age of twelve. He remained in his father’s employ until he was twenty-five, after which he engaged in the mercantile business in Zeeland for two years. Subsequent to this, he purchased an eighty-acre farm, where for four years he tilled the soi and successfully conducted agricultural pursuits. Upon disposing of his farm in 1872, he embarked in the milling business, and in 1877 purchased a one-third interest in the concern. Later he bought out the interests of his partners, and no owns the mill, which he has greatly improved and rendered more valuable by the introduction of the roller system.

In addition to the milling business, Mr. Keppel has other valuable interests in the village where he makes his home. He was one of the organizers of the furniture factory, in which he is now a stockholder. He is a stanch Republican in politics, and is now serving his fourth term as President of the village, in which capacity he has rendered excellent service to his fellow-citizens, and has been instrumental in introducing a number of needed improvements. As a member of the School Board, his labors have been effective in promoting a high grade of scholarship and in securing the teachers best qualified for the work of instruction.

June 26, 1865, Mr. Keppel was united in marriage with Miss Magdalena M., daughter of John and Magdalena M. (Muelendyk) DePree. They were the parents of seven children, six of whom are living: Huibert, John, Teunis, Magdalena M., Margaret and Allie. One child, Magdalena, died at the age of two years. The religious home of the family is in the Dutch Reformed Church. As the architect of his own fortune, having through energy and tireless effort secured a large measure of success, Mr. Keppel is deserving of the high regard in which he is held by all who know him, and is entitled to more than passing notice in enumerating the successful men of Ottawa County.

Transcriber: Evelyn M. Sawyer
Created: 1 September 2003
URL: http://ottawa.migenweb.net/biographies/1893/keppelg.html

Contact County Coordinator: Evelyn_Sawyer@msn.com