Neighborhood Newspaper

There was an article in last week's Manayunk/Roxborough neighborhood newspaper about some of the local small forgotten graveyards/cemeteries. The reporter announced he was going to do a series of articles over the next few weeks about these forgotten cemeteries which prompted me to contact this reporter on whether he would be interested or not on an article about some of my own family members especially those who are interred in the tiny German Lutheran Bethany Churchground.

I mentioned writing an article about my great great grandfather John Gotlieb Keller who fought in the Civil War's 24th Pa and 15th Ny Regiments and who survived the Battle of Gettysburg only to die as a result of burns obtained later on in a steel mill accident.

He was interred in Bethany along with his wife Elisabeth, mother Susannah, brothers Jacob & Frederick and their Voigt cousins.

This reporter emailed me the other day and "yes" he was interested in an article that profiled John G. Keller. I wrote the article and sent it "via" email yesterday. Hopefully, we will all be able to see it in print in the next few weeks.

I remember my mother telling me how a reporter many years ago wanted to write a profile about the Keller/Voigt families because of their relationship to the Civil War/Gettysburg/Little Big Horn. He approached my great grandmother Mary Keller Gallagher about writing such an article but my great grandmother was too modest and preferred not to brag about the military histories of both her father (John G. Keller) and cousin (Henry C. Voigt). Needless to say, the article was never written. My great grandmother died in 1959. Therefore, I never had the chance to meet her. However, my grandfather, her son, William J. Gallagher II talked openly and proudly about his family for the many years I did know him and it is his words/memories I shall never forget and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to tell the story of my family because I am so very proud of who they were and how they chose to live their lives.

Today, we hear so much anti-government anti-military talk in the news and in the general conversation of others that I cannot help but think how it must have been for our ancestors during the time of the Civil War, Indian Wars, World War I & II, Korean and Vietnam Wars, all which members of our family served proudly not to mention the current Iraq War which my youngest son served in.

While in Florida, I sat and listened to many conversations all which were very anti-government anti-military. I said and I quote "Unless you served in the military, you do not have an opinion". I really meant that statement because all those who spoke had never served in the military nor even had a father, brother or son who had served.

Seriously, what gave them the right to judge?

I was especially "taken aback" on the comment of the 18 yr old (who shall remain nameless) involved in that conversation when he turned around and made the following reply to my statement, "Why do you like war? Would you like one of your sons killed in one? "

Wow, how naive and stupid, I thought. I can only conclude that I am glad it was not the character or cowardliness of someone like him whom this country needed to lean on & trust to defend our freedom because if it were we would still be a subject of Britain.

And for the record, I never served in the military and though I may not agree on all the current polices of this administration, I firmly believe that we should have a certain amount of respect for our elected officials because not to do so only reinforces the behaviors of our enemies.

And we must always support our troops.

And that is my two-cents worth of Gallagher Preaching.