He was born Nov. 26, 1916, in Effingham, Kan. He was the ninth of 10 children of Louie Lee and Clara Shell Adams.
The family moved to Springfield in 1926. Keith attended Ridgely and Converse grade schools and graduated from Springfield High School in 1934. He married the former Cleo A. Poland on May 24, 1936; she died on April 11, 2000, just two weeks shy of their 64th wedding anniversary.
Keith worked for Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, Calif., during the war as a tool and die maker, helping design and build both fighter and bomber aircraft during the war. They returned to Springfield in 1946, where he worked for his in-laws, and then took a job with Sears Roebuck in 1950. He retired from Sears in 1978, and he and Cleo moved to their beloved cottage at Lake Sara in Effingham. They spent 20 years traveling the country in their motor home. They returned to Springfield in 1997.
Keith was preceded in death by his wife, Cleo; a daughter, Aileen Brandis in 2009; and nine brothers and sisters.
He is survived by two sons, Edward and Kenneth (wife, Nita); two daughters, Nancy (husband, Phillip) Satorius and Susan (husband, David) Houston, all of Springfield; 11 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. until the time of services at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009, at Ellinger-Kunz and Park Funeral Home in Springfield. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park.
Ellinger-Kunz and Park Funeral Home, 530 N. Fifth St., Springfield, IL, is in charge of arrangements.
Published in The State Journal-Register on 12/22/2009
He was born Nov. 26, 1916, in Effingham, Kan. He was the ninth of 10 children of Louie Lee and Clara Shell Adams.
The family moved to Springfield in 1926. Keith attended Ridgely and Converse grade schools and graduated from Springfield High School in 1934. He married the former Cleo A. Poland on May 24, 1936; she died on April 11, 2000, just two weeks shy of their 64th wedding anniversary.
Keith worked for Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, Calif., during the war as a tool and die maker, helping design and build both fighter and bomber aircraft during the war. They returned to Springfield in 1946, where he worked for his in-laws, and then took a job with Sears Roebuck in 1950. He retired from Sears in 1978, and he and Cleo moved to their beloved cottage at Lake Sara in Effingham. They spent 20 years traveling the country in their motor home. They returned to Springfield in 1997.
Keith was preceded in death by his wife, Cleo; a daughter, Aileen Brandis in 2009; and nine brothers and sisters.
He is survived by two sons, Edward and Kenneth (wife, Nita); two daughters, Nancy (husband, Phillip) Satorius and Susan (husband, David) Houston, all of Springfield; 11 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. until the time of services at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009, at Ellinger-Kunz and Park Funeral Home in Springfield. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park.
Ellinger-Kunz and Park Funeral Home, 530 N. Fifth St., Springfield, IL, is in charge of arrangements.
Published in The State Journal-Register on 12/22/2009
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