Gotthilf Heinrich Keller was born 27 May 1834 in Alexandersdorf, Tiflis District, the son of Melchior Keller and Johanna Margarethe Hübner. He died 30 June 1911 in Taganrog, a port city on the Sea of Azov. He is a brother of Pastor Isaak Theophil Keller. He first married Hanni Lang on 21 August 1862 in Beggingen, Schaffhausen Kanton, in Switzerland. She was born 11 January 1841 in Beggingen, the daughter of Pastor Johann Jakob Lang and Margaret Galloway. She died 20 May 1892 in Simbirsk. His second wife was Emilie Wilhelmine Kelmser whom he married on 13 November 1903. She was born 19 November 1871 in Wesenberg (Estland), daughter of Kochs Hans Kelmser and Julie Biber. She died 8 October 1952 in Ingweiler near Zabern, Elsass-Lothringen (now in France).
He was a student at St. Anne's School in St. Petersburg. He studied theology in Dorpat from 1852 to 1857. From 1857 to 1859, he was a private tutor in Simbirsk. On 23 April 1861, he was ordained in St. Petersburg. From 1862 to 1876, he served as pastor in Neu-Freudenthal. From 1876 to 1877 he was an adjunct to the Katharinenstadt (South) parish. From 1877 to 1878, he was pastor in Bettinger. From 1878 to 1903, he was pastor emeritus in the Katharinenstadt (South) parish. On his death, he was living with his son, the Rev. Richard Keller, in Taganrog.
- Schnurr, Joseph. Die Kirchen und das religiöse Leben der Russlanddeutschen – Evangelischer Teil (Stuttgart: AER Verlag Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Rußland, 1978): 149.