Keeble, Lucille M. 1923-2013

KEEBLE, JOHNSON, BROCK, LOWE, CHALOUPKA, BRYNESTAD, LEADLEY, CHRISTENSEN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 2/3/2016 at 13:42:37

Lucille M. Keeble (1923 - 2013)
Yale

Lucille M. Keeble, 89, daughter of Stanley & Emma Anna Maria (Johnson) Brock, was born July 11, 1923 in Rolfe, Iowa. She passed away Friday, March 15, 2013 at the New Homestead, Guthrie Center, Iowa.

Lucille attended school in Rolfe. As often happened in that era, the family children quit school to work. Lucille then gave birth to her first child, Stanley (Stan). Stanley and Emma owned a local restaurant in Rolfe. This is probably where Lucille became truly interested in cooking for a brood, long before she had a brood of her own.

Dale Lowe and Lucille were married and to this union Delbert "Red", Marlene, (Vera) Jean, and Jim E were born. Unfortunately Dale passed away in his late 20's six months following the birth of Jim E in 1949. Lucille would then marry Jim Keeble of Rolfe. It was a union of a widow and a widower. Jim was raising two children, Jim Marion and (Velma) Jean. So with the combination of families, Lucille was now cooking for seven children. But the chairs around the table continued to be added with the birth of Bill and Judy. And now there were nine.

Lucille has an endless list of fond memories, but a favorite was being honored by a local Fort Dodge company for her cooking excellence and homemaking. While living in Rolfe, Lucille was nominated by family members and then was chosen "Queen for a Day". Included in her nomination to no surprise to those who knew Lucille, she canned 1,756 quarts of fruit and vegetables in the summer of 1955. Feeding the growing and of course hungry family canning was a necessity for the family to survive and she had an ample supply to keep the family nourished.

The family lived in Rolfe until Jim secured a job in Yale at the local Coop. By this time, the older children of the family moved on and married giving Lucille free time. As luck would have it, a position as a school cook opened right across the street from the Keeble home. Not only did Lucille enjoy her job, the school children loved eating in the Yale Community School lunchroom and later for YJB Community School District. By now Lucille had become an "expert" in the field of cooking with her fabulous cinnamon rolls being a school favorite and the wonderful scent of cinnamon filling the hallways. When not cooking, cleaning, gardening (she loved her flowering plants), washing, drying, and folding clothes, she found time to sew. Jim and Lucille would leave Yale and move to Atkins, Iowa. Jim later died suddenly and Lucille headed to work at Kingston Hill (retirement center) in Cedar Rapids. She loved her job and the residents loved to see her in the kitchen. Taking in sewing and mending became a productive income.

Old friends and family drew Lucille back to Yale, residing in an apartment that fit her well. She was active in church activities, writing letters/sending cards nearly every morning and she never missed sending a birthday card to family members and friends.

Although traveling was rare for Lucille; Jim, Lucille, and the kids would crawl into the car and head to White City, Kansas to visit Jim's family. Jim and Lucille did make a trip to Germany. Later, "Mom" and her girls would head to Las Vegas for a few days every year.

Lucille is survived by her children, Stan (Mary) Lowe, daughter-in-law, Pat Keeble (wife of the late Jim M), Delbert "Red" Lowe, Marlene (Greg) Chaloupka, Jeannie Brynestad, Jim (Madonna) Lowe, and Bill Keeble, 32 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren, 12 great-great-grandchildren, and two sisters, Evelyn Leadley and Roselyn Christensen. As well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.

She was preceded in death by husbands Dale Lowe and Jim Keeble, children, Jim M., Jean, and Judy, grandchildren, Matthew and Allison, and great-granddaughter, Kaylin.

Funeral services will be 10:30 A.M., Monday, March 18, 2013 at the Twigg Funeral Home, Panora. Burial will be 3:00 P.M. Monday at the Clinton Garfield Cemetery, Rolfe, Iowa. Visitation will be Sunday, March 17, 2013 from 4-6 P.M. at the funeral home.

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/desmoinesregister/obituary.aspx?pid=163650761#sthash.mBjHkTkR.dpuf ~ The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa Sun 17 Mar 2013.