Francis (Cap) Keeley

KEELEY, KELCHNER, FRANZEN

Posted By: Linda Gatewood (email)
Date: 1/18/2009 at 12:51:36

Francis G. "Cap" Keeley, 59, of Clinton, a veteran Clinton Herald employee, died unexpectedly in his home about 6 PM Wednesday.

Funeral services for Mr. Keeley will be held at 1:30 PM Saturday in the Snell-Smith Funeral Home. Rev E. C. Nielsen of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church will officiate. Burial will be at Springdale Cemetery. Rose Croix services in the funeral home will be in chard of Clinton Consistory.

Visitation in the funeral home will begin at 7 PM today. Pallbearers will be DA Lundgren, Everett A. Streit, Lee F. White, Maurice E. Levine, LJ Mills and Jack Ernster.

Mr. Keeley was born Jan 14, 1909 in Clinton, the son of Seneca F. and Mary Kelchner Keeley. In 1924, while attending Clinton High School, he began working part time in the Herald's mailing room. Four years later he joined the display advertising staff and had been associated with the newspaper since that time.

He served three years in World War II being stationed in the Italian War Theater for much of that period of time. He was a member of Western Star Lodge 100; Clinton Consistory and Kaaba Shrine. Mr. Keeley was a past governor and secretary of the Clinton Moose Lodge and had been active in that organization for many years.

He was also a member of the American Legion 40 & 8 Veterans of Foreign Wards and Amvets.

Mr. Keeley was married to Ms. Elizabeth Franzen on Oct 21, 1942 in Clinton, and she survives. Also surviving are six sisters Mrs. Ralph (Alice) Mummert of Savanna, IL, Mrs. David (Emma) Broaderick, Mrs. Charles (Arla) Sweeney, Mrs. Frank (Sybil) Limacher, and Mrs. Orville (Laura) Young of Clinton and Mrs. Otto (Zella) Thompsen of Baldwin, ND. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister.