116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Mary Ann Keller
MARY ANN KELLER
Garwin
Mary Ann Keller, 93, of Garwin, formerly of Grinnell, passed away Sunday, June 3, 2018, at her home in rural Garwin. A Mass of Christian Burial was held June 7 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Tama. Father Michael Mescher and Deacon Joe Behounek officiated. Interment: Victor Memorial Cemetery. Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama handled arrangements.
Mary Ann was born July 10, 1924, near Clutier, Iowa, to Joseph and Frances (Zmolek) Sevcik. She grew up with six siblings, including a twin brother, Milo. She attended rural school and graduated from Clutier High School in 1942. She then went to Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls. She graduated after one year and taught at Carroll No. 5 country school near Clutier for a few years.
On June 28, 1948, she was united in marriage to Marvin Keller of Victor at St. Vaclav Catholic Church. After a honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls, N.Y., they settled in the country near Victor. They farmed this land and later moved to a farm near Ladora. To this marriage were born seven children. The couple moved to Grinnell in 2000. This was their first new house together. Mary Ann and Marvin were married for 63 years.
Mary and Marvin enjoyed traveling to Europe to visit with relatives, especially to the Czech Republic and Germany in their later years with their son Keith.
Mary was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Marengo and the Altar and Rosary Society there. She also was a 4-H leader in the early 1950s. She joined the American Legion Auxiliary and was a member for 30 years. She was a 69-year member of Catholic Workmen. Mary later took nurse's aide classes and worked at the Marengo Memorial Hospital on the night shift. She enjoyed reading, cooking, gardening and flowers.
Survivors include six children, Dwight (Kathy) Keller of Leawood, Kan., Terrie (Wayne) Schafbuch of Victor, Betty (Bernie) Waterbeck of Garwin, Dean Keller of Garwin, Norman (Renee) Keller of Cedar Rapids and Janice (Jim) Burnham of Williamsburg; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Lillian Wacha of Tama.
Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, Marvin Keller; son, Keith Keller; four brothers, Paul, Adolph, Milo and Joe Sevcik; and a sister, Philomena Cibula.
The family appreciates memorial donations made to the Alzheimer's Association.
Daily Newsletters