History
Grover Keaton was born on October 5, 1855 in the community of Greenfield, Tennessee in Weakley County. He was the son of William Jefferson Keaton and Elizabeth Craig Keaton. He was raised in Milan, Tennessee and attended the Milan Public Schools in Gibson County. After finishing his education in Milan, Treasurer Keaton pursued further education at the Vanderbilt School of Law in Nashville, Tennessee. He married Cherry Clyde Clark in 1914 and they eventually had one daughter, Cherrie Ann Keaton.
Treasurer Keaton became involved in a variety of businesses. From 1908 to 1927, he worked with the manufacturing business. In 1927, he changed to working with the wholesale oil business. He continued to work with the oil business until 1937. Prior to his election as the Tennessee State Treasurer, Treasurer Keaton was president of the Tennessee Oil Men's Association. He was also Chairman of the State Board of Elections for Tennessee for eight years.
In addition to his involvement in business enterprises, Treasurer Keaton became engaged in public service. From 1917 to 1918, he served as the mayor of Milan. He was then elected to the State House of Representatives, serving from 1919-1923, and again from 1927 to 1929.
On January 14, 1937, Treasurer Keaton was elected as the State Treasurer of Tennessee. He served in the position from 1937 to 1939.
While Treasurer Keaton had many roles in state governance, he also was involved in many organizations. During World War I, Treasurer Keaton volunteered for war service and served as Chairman of the Gibson County Federal Food Distribution Commission. In addition to his service during the war years, Treasurer Keaton was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and served as Superintendent of Sunday School from 1907 to 1927. Treasurer Keaton was also a Mason, served as the President of the Milan Chamber of Commerce, and was a member of the Milan School Board from 1918 to 1937.
After serving his community and state in various ways, Treasurer Keaton died on July 10, 1947. He was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in the town of Milan in Gibson County, Tennessee.
Reference: James L. Gillum, Prominent Tennesseans, 1796-1938 (Lewisburg, TN: Who's Who Publishing Company, 1940); The Tennessee Blue Book, 1937-1938; "Grover Hendricks Keaton" Tennessee Death Records, 1908-1958, Nashville, TN: Tennessee State Library and Archives; "Grover Keaton" Find a Grave http://www.findagrave.com; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002, Nashville, TN: Tennessee State Library and Archives.