Keith Kelley Koile Jr

KOILE SWANSON VAN DAELE DETTMER STARLING BOYNTON MAE ADAMS

Posted By: diane (email)
Date: 12/2/2021 at 18:49:09

Keith Kelley Koile Jr., 88, of Oelwein and formerly of Fairbank, passed away at Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls of natural causes. Visitation will be from 3-7:30 PM on Saturday, March 15, 2014 at the Geilenfeld Funeral Home in Oelwein, with scripture service at 6:30 PM. Funeral Services will be at 1 PM on Sunday, March 16, 2014 at the Geilenfeld Funeral Home. Interment will be in Immaculate Conception Cemetery at Fairbank.

Keith was born on August 20, 1925 in Ashland, WI. to Keith K Sr. and Agnes (Swanson) Koile. Keith attended country school in rural Wisconsin. At the age of 21, Keith was united in marriage with Helen Van Daele on November 22, 1946, whom he met at Oelwein’s dance hall, the Coliseum. The newlyweds lived together in a house they shared along with Helen’s brother Robert and his new wife, Maxine on the southwestern edge of Fairbank.

The couple began farming in rural Fairbank where they started their family. Their first child, Carolyn was born in October 1947, and soon Marolyn (1951), then followed by Marge (1954) and then Lisa (1965). Keith enjoyed farming, but also worked for Heinze Construction, Rath Packing, Speedys, John Deere, and Chamberlain Manufacturing to keep up with his growing family. The couple also spent a couple of years on a dairy farm near Sanborn WI.

In 1972 they returned to Fairbank where Keith worked as a heavy equipment operator and carpenter for Woods Construction. They built their home with the help of their son-in-laws on a small acreage south of Fairbank that once belonged to the Fairbank Gun Club.

After retiring from Woods Construction, the farm life still called his name and he helped many area farmers. His most favorite time was harvest season and running the combine. Helen often remarked, “He never has an ache or a pain, he came to life.” During the off season Keith spent his time gardening.

With every year, the garden grew larger and at some point Helen finally exclaimed, “That’s it! I’m done canning!” then Keith took over and tried to replicate his mother’s mustard pickles and many other unusual concoctions. Keith also enjoyed tinkering in his shed where he restored old farmall tractors. He also spent his time fishing and woodworking.

Keith was a devoted grandfather to Carrie, Jeff, Pam, Jeremy, Jennifer, Marie, Michelle and Mason and a Great-Grandfather to Josh, Derek, Domanick, Madison, Tylor, Cory, Brianna, Brayden, Keagan, Kelsey, Reese and Zienna. Keith loved his family and will be dearly missed by them.

Keith was preceded in death by his wife Helen (2010); his daughter Carolyn Dettmer; his brother Leon “Swede” Koile; his sister Madeline Starling; his son-in-law Phil “Bert” Boynton; his brother-in-law Gene Christian; his brother and sister (in infancy) Clinton and Alice Mae.

Keith is survived by his daughters: Marolyn Boynton of Oelwien, Marge Mika of Fairbank and Lisa Schares of Fairbank; his two brothers Clayton (Becky) Koile and Lowell Koile both of Joplin, Missouri, one sister Darlene Christian Adams of Zapata, Texas and one sister-in-law, Donna Koile of Ackley, Iowa, and also his grandchildren, great grand children and many nieces and nephews.

Keith will be greatly missed and we will celebrate his life, both here on Earth and eternally