KEIL, HENRY C., mayor of Beardstown and for many years prominent in mercantile circles, is admittedly one of the leading men of Cass County. He is a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, where he was born November 7, 1848, a son of John and Elizabeth (Moell) Keil. While in his native land he learned the tinner's trade, and not finding the opportunities he desired in his native land, left it for America on March 15, 1867. After a short stay in New York City, he secured employment in a manufacturing plant at Whitestown, L.I., where he worked at his trade for a year. He then came to Illinois, locating at Jacksonville, where for three years he continued to work at his trade. In 1870 he settled in Cass County and for a year worked on a farm. Preferring work at his trade, however, he came to Beardstown, and worked as a journeyman tinner for four years, then, on March 1, 1875, he embarked in a tin business on his own account, and was so very successful that in 1880 he added a hardware line, now being the oldest hardware merchant in Beardstown. He handles shelf and light hardware, stoves and similar stock, and does all kinds of plumbing.

On January 14, 1877, Mr. Keil married Miss Sophia Weiss, who was born in Cass County, a daughter of John and Catherine (Hahn) Weiss, natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Keil became the parents of the following children: Alma, who is Mrs. John G. Pratt of Virginia, Ill.; Arthur Edwin L., who is on his father's farm in Cass County. The mother of these children died in February 1907. On June 10, 1908, Mr. Keil married Miss Emma Ortwein, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Schneider) Ortwein. Mrs. Keil is a native of Beardstown.

While Mr. Keil's educational opportunities were confined to instruction received in the public schools of his native land, he is a very well informed man and stands very high with his fellow citizens. He is an honored member of the German Lutheran church, as are the family. For three years he served the Third Ward as alderman, and in 1899 was elected mayor, serving until 1907, and in 1909 he was re-elected mayor of the city, and has served continuously ever since. Mayor Keil is a man of steadfast purpose, one who has steadily forged his way to the front, and his success in life has been honestly earned through individual effort.