Mr. Keeny was one of the oldest citizens in point of residence of Chatauqua county. When he came from Pennsylvania to Kansas he located first at Lawrence. Then he went to Oswego and from there to Peru, arrived in Peru in 1871 or 1872. He remained there during all the early day county seat troubles and when Chatauqua county was created and Sedan made county seat he moved to the city where he has since lived.
Mr. Keeny was born December 27, 1833 and thus lacked but 4 days of being 72 years old. Carlisle, PA was his birthplace and he grew to manhood there. He was twice married. On June 5, 1869 he married Alice M. Grove of Carlisle, PA who survives him. Nine children were born to them, five boys and four girls of whom two sons and two daughters survive. These are Ed and Garfield Keeny of Sedan, Mrs. Claude Eldridge of Independence and Mrs. F. H. Flickinger of Baldwin. Five sons and daughters from the first marriage are living.
Mr. Keeny in his earlier years was typical of the spirit of those stirring times. He entered into the county seat troubles with the zeal and loyalty of a patriotic citizen and was always active in everything that concerned his town, which was then Peru.
In later years, Mr. Keeny had given much of his time and money to church work. An ardent, loyal, aggressive Methodist, he has worked day and night for the advancement of the Christian religion in general and of the Methodist church in particular. For many years he had been one of the leaders amoung the laymen of the South Kansas conference. Locally he had long been the most liberal donator to the Methodist church in Sedan. He had not only given freely of his money but he worked hard for the upbuilding of the church. He had been one of the trustees for many years.
When Mr. Keeny moved to Sedan he first engaged in the musical instrument business but seven or eight years ago he added furniture and undertaking to his lines. He sold out last May after 25 years in active business here. Since then he had been getting his business affairs in shape for just such a death as came to him. He seemed to expect the last summons at any moment nad was certainly as well prepared to die as any man could be.
Mr. Keeny was intensely patriotic and in 1861-1863 bore the arms of his country in the 130th Pennsylvania regiment. He was a leader in the Grand Army Post and only a few months ago attended the national Grand Army Encampment at Atlantic City. He wrote a very interesting letter about this event to the Times and the old soldiers read it with much interest. Mr. and Mrs. Keeny have traveled extensively in recent years and no one has ever enjoyed his journeys more than Mr. Keeny. He made notes of the interesting things he saw and would write letters back to his home paper about them. He loved to fish and hunt and went to Idaho and Wyoming several times for that purpose. He was one of Sedan's wealthiest citizens and leaves quite a lot of notes and property for his family. He owned much Sedan real estate and was a very heavy taxpayer. A flood of interesting memories rush through the mind when one recalls the years of acquaintance with Mr. Keeny. But these events show him to be a true, consistent Christian, a man who tried sincerely and honestly to do only what was right in the sight of God, a citizen who was liberal and charitable in all things, a husband whose loving devotion to his wife was never failing, a father of infinite kindness and indulgence. He will be missed in Sedan as few other men would be and as the years go by his memory will be tenderly recalled as often as the many events in which he took a prominent part annually recur.

Mr. Keeny was a member of the Stone River G.A.R. and the funeral was conducted by that order. The services at the church were very solemn and impressive and were heard by as large a congregation as could possibly crowd into the building. The funeral oration was delivered by Rev. R. T. Harkness and his close association with Mr. Keeny in church work and spiritual matters stirred the pastors inspiration to its depths for the occasion. The pastor closed his remarks by reading to the congregation a personal letter written to him by Mr. Keeny on the morning of the day he died and not received through the mails until after his death. The letter related to Mr. Keeny's Christian experiences. The remains were conducted to Greenwood cemetery for interment. escorted by six veterans of the civil war as pall bearers, W. H. Dennis, C.H. Inglefield, S. B. Davis, H.R. Taylor, J. H. Carney and J. L. Pattison, acting in that capacity. The body was lowered into its final resting place by these veteran comrades. The business houses were closed during the afternoon from 2 oclock until 4 as a final honor to the deceased townsman.