Godfrey John Keebler (17 February 1822—9 September 1893) in Wurtemberg, Germany. His father was a farmer who emigrated to this country in 1832 when Godfrey was a boy of ten.
Godfrey’s father settled in Philadelphia at first, but later moved to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. While living in Phoenixville, Godfrey farmed for others in the summer and spent his winters at school until the age of 19 when he went to Philadelphia to learn the trade of baking bread and cakes. At the age of 22 he established himself in the baking business which he operated for two years, 1844-1846, and then moved to Columbia, he apprenticed as a baker’s assistant at the “Red Lion Inn,” that same year the property was purchased by a Louis Becker in 1846 who then changed the name to the “American Hotel.” The lead baker died, and Godfrey married his first wife the baker’s widow. In 1847 he opened his own store on North Front Street in Columbia Pennsylvania (this period of 1844-1850) as far as addresses are concerned is uncertain business address. At this point we can conjecture whether or not the business Godfrey ran was a biscuit bakery. If we dare assume it was, even though on a small scale, they we can say our business was founded in 1844 instead of 1862, which is the generally accepted date. This acceptance seems to be founded on the fact the City Directory between 1862 and 1863 first mentions his name in connection with a biscuit bakery.
“Godfrey lived in Columbia, Pennsylvania from 1846 to 1850. These four years might be said to be four years of mystery as far as known historical facts are concerned. What little we know for sure comes from a son, Horace, by his third marriage, and a Mrs. Robena Keebler, wife of Horace’s brother. Between the two one can reconstruct this period as far as marriages are concerned. Godfrey apparently worked for a man by the name of Frank. When Mr. Frank died, Godfrey married the widow Frank, and she thus became Godfrey’s first wife. It is believed Mrs. Frank had three children when she married Godfrey–one son and two daughters. By this marriage Godfrey had three sons: Walter, Frank and Harry. How long Godfrey lived with his first wife is a big question. We know he married a second time and by this marriage he had several children and only one can be named for certain, a daughter named Anna. Here again, dates are hidden in the veils of history as no one remembers this wife’s name, the date of marriage, nor the date of her death. All we know, where Godfrey’s marriages are concerned, is that from 1846 to 1860 he married three times. Historical records do show he married his third wife, Emma L. Birdsell of Camden, New Jersey, on the tenth day of May 1860. By this marriage there were three children–Horrace, Mary and Robeno.
“Back to the Columbia period, there appears in the library of Lancaster County Historical Society a book “History of Lancaster County” in which reference is made to the Susquehanna Lodge No. 80, I.O.O.F. which was organized in the borough of Columbia in December 1842. Listed among some forty citizens who were members is the name Godfrey Keebler. Godfrey’s son Horace, in reminiscing about this period stated’……he became very well acquainted there because the editor of the Columbia Spy sent him a paper years after he got down here.’
“After leaving Columbia in 1850 Godfrey moved to Camden, N. J. Just why he chose Camden is an uncertainty. According to his son, Horace, Godfrey brought with him one of the daughters of his first wife to live with him in Camden. It was through her friendship with Emma L. Birdsell of Camden that Godfrey came to meet and marry her in 1860.
“Godfrey apparently commuted to Philadelphia from 1850 to 1862 where he worked for a man by the name of John T. Ricketts who owned a bakery making ship bread and biscuits. Exactly where this bakery was located in Philadelphia is uncertain as there is disagreement in references. Horace Keebler says it was on the east side of Front Street, below Race. In 1862 Godfrey moved from Camden to Philadelphia where he lived at 12th & Christian. For about a year, according to Horace, his father ran a small bakery at this address. History at this time seems to bear out that it was in this year that Godfrey was phasing out his connections with Rickett, running a small bakeshop and getting ready to open a larger shop on 22nd Street. This separation from Rickett was a peaceful one. Actually, Rickett had given Godfrey certain machinery to put in the sop at 258 and 260 N. 22nd Street which he was renting at this time.
In the 1863-1864 period he moved from the Christian Street address to 2222 Brandywine Street at which time he also took title to the property at 258 and 260 N. 22nd Street as well as 262 and 264 N. Brandywine Street. In 1866 he purchased these properties as well as 2210 Brandywine. Between 1866 and 1872 he erected a building on 264 of three stories and added an addition story onto 260, 262 and 258.
Godfrey is buried in Mount Peace Cemetery, Philadelphia.
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