From: A Twentieth Century History of Allegan County, Michigan

By Henry F. ThomasPublished 1907, Lewis Publishing Co.

JOHN KEEN, a native of Holland, has been a resident of America since 1882 and with the exception of the first year has been continuously identified with agricultural and horticultural pursuits in Saugatuck township, Allegan county, where a good property is proof of his life of industry and thrift. Mr. Keen was born in 1857, a son of George and Jennie (Newbanning) Keen, both of whom were natives of Holland, where they spent their entire lives.

Reared and educated in his native country, John Keen, when a young man of twenty-five years, crossed the Atlantic, attracted by the opportunities of the new world for business advancement. This was in 1882. The same year, soon after his arrival in this country, he was married to Miss Sarah Hoffmyer, a native of Germany.

The following year he located on his present farm, purchasing forty acres, to which he has since added as his financial resources have increased, until he is now the owner of a good tract of eighty acres. It required hard, earnest and constant toil for him to convert the first forty acres into productive fields and orchards, for the land was originally covered with timber. He cut down the trees, cleared away the brush and stumps and continued the work of developing the farm until it is now a good property, bringing forth good crops of fruit and grain. He has set out one hundred peach trees, three hundred cherry trees, twenty fine apple trees and some pear trees, besides small fruit, and in addition to his horticultural pursuits, he carries on general farming. Mr. and Mrs. Keen have become the parents of seven children, Benjamin, George, Helen, John, Jacob, Jennie and Lambert. Mr. Keen and his family are members of the East Saugatuck Dutch Reformed church and may be seen each Sunday worshiping with that congregation.