From INDIANA ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS OF AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT Vol. 3, By
Charles Roll, A.M., The Lewis Publishing Company, 1931

JOHN FLETCHER KELTON, who is now city attorney of North Manchester, Wabash
County, has had long and varied experience in his profession, has lived in both
the South and the West, and among his official services have been those rendered
as judge of the Probate and County Court of Blount County, Alabama. Since
establishing his home in Indiana, in 1927, Judge Kelton has proved his ability
and resourcefulness as an attorney and counselor at law and he now controls a
substantial practice at North Manchester.

John F. Kelton was born in the City of Gainesville, Georgia, May 6, 1869, is a
son of Elias and Sarah (Thomason) Kelton, and was young at the time of the
family removal from Georgia to Alabama, his earlier education having been
obtained in the public schools of his native state and having been advanced by
his attending the public schools of Alabama. In the latter state he studied law
under private preceptorship, duly fortified himself in the science of
jurisprudence, and in due course he was admitted to the Alabama bar, his
eligibility for practice having been extended from the Circuit Court of Blount
County to the Appellate and Supreme courts of the state. He gave six years of
service as clerk of the Circuit Court of Blount County and held for twelve years
the office of judge of the Probate Court of that county.

He continued his residence in Alabama until 1920, when he went to the Southwest and engaged in
the practice of his profession at Fort Sumner, judicial center of DeBaca County,
New Mexico, he having been admitted to practice in the Supreme Court and also
the Federal courts of that state. In 1927 Judge Kelton came to Indiana, and
after being engaged in practice one year in the City of Peru, Miami County, he
established his permanent home at North Manchester, in which thriving city of
Wabash County he has since continued to be successfully engaged in the general
practice of law, besides being the present (1930) city attorney. He has been
admitted to practice before the Indiana Supreme Court and also in the United
States District Court at South Bend. The Judge is a member of the Wabash County
Bar Association and the Indiana State Bar Association. He is a valued and
popular member of the local Kiwanis Club, and in their home city he and his wife
are zealous members of the Christian Church, in the Sunday School of which he is
teacher of the Men's Bible Class.

Judge Kelton has ever been aligned as a staunch supporter of the cause of the
Democratic party, has been influential in its councils in the various states in
which he has practiced his profession, and while in New Mexico he served as a
member of its state central committee. In the World war period he served as food
administrator for Blount County, with headquarters in his home City of Oneonta,
the county seat, where he likewise served as chairman of the organization of
four-minute speakers, with supervision over twenty-six effective speakers who
with him gave notably loyal and constructive service in furthering the drives in
support of sales of Government war bonds, Red Cross service, etc. Further than
this Judge Kelton made still greater contribution to the cause of patriotism, as
three of his sons were in the nation's military service in the World war period,
as will be more specifically noted in a later paragraph.

In Alabama was solemnized the marriage of Judge Kelton to Miss Fannie Williams,
who was born and reared in that state, and the children of this union are five
in number: Robert G. is a member of the Alabama bar but is now a business man at
Oneonta, that state; John B., who is now at Tampa, Florida, served as a member
of the United States Marine Corps in the World war and was on active duty in
France one year; Wiley L. was in service in the World war period and is now
located at Fairfield, Alabama, and connected with the U. S. Steel Company; James
L., a member of the Aviation Corps of the United States army, had eighteen
months of active service in France, he being now a resident of Peru, Indiana;
and Sarah is the wife of D. G. Cline, of Peru, this state.

Judge Kelton has in his law practice and official service exemplified the best
ethics of his profession, in which he has won no minor prestige, and as a
citizen he has been signally progressive and public-spirited. He has won a wide
circle of friends in his present home community, as did he also in other
communities in which he has lived and wrought worthily and well.

Additional information provided by Find A Grave contributor Noma Kelton Henderson. Thank you!