Richard W. Keefer

July 21, 1931 - June 16, 2007

CAMBRIDGE -- Richard W. Keefer, 75, died Saturday, (June 16, 2007) at Grand Islands Veteran's Hospital.

He was born in Columbus, July 21, 1931, to Herman T. and Anna (Kaipeft) Keefer. He attended school in Columbus and graduated from Kramer High School in 1949.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army serving his active duty in Korea. He was honorably discharged on Jan. 4, 1954. While in Korea he received a Combat Infantry Badge, Korean Services Medal with three bronze stars, United Nations Service Medal National Defense Medal.

He also received a Bronze Star for his service in defending Pork Chop Hill. He transferred from the active service to the reserve, being discharged in April of 1963.

On May 31, 1954, he was united in marriage to Donna Wheeler, she preceded him in death April of 2003.

They lived in Columbus, where he worked for Rodgers Garage until 1964. They moved to Holdrege where he took a job as route salesman for Peter Pan Bread. They moved to Kearney in 1966, when he took a job with Kitty Clover as a route salesman. Upon retirement in 1990, they moved to a home on the Medicine Creek Reservoir on Trail 3.

He worked part-time for the Cambridge Supermarket for several years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Donna and brothers, Dwayne and Herman Keefer.

Survivors include his three sons, Richard and wife, Cindy of Gibbon, Timothy and wife, Sheryl of Bellevue, and Scott and wife, Ann of Kearney; three daughters, Kristine Rinaldo, Stafford, Va., Kay and husband, Mark Oliver of Auburn, and Lisa and husband, Jai Andrist, of Gibbon; brother, Merlyn and wife, Janet of Columbus; 12 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial Mass will be at St. John the Baptist Church on Friday, June 29, 10:30 a.m., with the Rev. Robert Barnhill officiating. Inurnment will be in the Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell at 2:30 p.m.

Memorials may be left in his name to St. John's Catholic Church, American Cancer Society or the Kidney Foundation

Lockenour-Jones Mortuary of Cambridge is in charge of arrangements.