Joel Shannon Keim, 14 Aug 1969 - 03 Jul 2022

KEIM, ANDERSON, MARTIN, DENEVE, WARWICK, ZANDER, LAWLER, CRYP, KOLSTO, LANE

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 7/13/2022 at 15:10:17

Joel S. Keim, age 52, of Marengo, passed away Sunday, July 3, 2022 at the University of Iowa Hospital, Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 7, 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church, Marengo, with Rev. Anni Thorn officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established. Inurnment will be in the Marengo Cemetery, at a later date.

Joel is survived by the mother of his children, Heather Keim and their five children, MaKayla (Keaton) DeNeve, MaKenna Keim (Wes Warwick), Zane, Zander and Zayden Keim; three grandchildren, McKinlee and Benson DeNeve, and Emersyn Warwick; a sister Cindy (Kevin) Lawler; his father and mother-in-law Lowell and Karen Martin; a sister-in-law Haley (Dustin) Gryp; a brother-in-law Harley (Cristy) Martin; nieces and nephews; and a special friend Gina Kolsto. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Kristin in infancy, and his uncle Jim Lane.

Joel Shannon Keim was born August 14, 1969, in Cedar Rapids, the son of Keith and Judy (Anderson) Keim. He graduated from LaSalle Catholic High School in Cedar Rapids and continued his education at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. Joel married Heather Martin and later divorced. Of this union, they were blessed with five beautiful children. Joel was employed by the Iowa Department of Transportation. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Marengo, where he was the custodian for 22 years and also served previous years on the Board of Session. He was an avid wrestling fan and was a big supporter of the Iowa Valley Wrestling program. Joel loved to attend State High School Wrestling in Des Moines every year with his boys, as well as the NCAA Wrestling Nationals with friends. He loved his family and spending time with them was very important to him. Joel enjoyed sitting on his porch enjoying life and going for walks at Gateway Park, in Marengo. There wasn’t a hot sauce that was ever too hot for him. He also enjoyed vegetable gardening, which of course would include a variety of hot peppers. Joel was always willing to lend a helping hand. He loved to live life and wanted those around him to do the same. Joel, his warm smile, and his unforgettable laugh will be greatly missed by many.

Published in The Hometown Current on July 13, 2022, an abbreviated version was published in The Gazette on July 6, 2022.