Hanna, Keith Marion

Keith Marion Hanna, 76, of Anamosa, died Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, at home surrounded by his loved ones. Services will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, at First Congregational Church in Anamosa. The Rev. Carla Burge and the Rev. Al Polito will officiate at the service. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Goettsch Funeral Home in Anamosa. Burial will be at Cass Cemetery in rural Anamosa.

Keith is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Bev; his daughter and son-in-law, Kim and Jeff Ralston of Monticello; his son and daughter-in-law, Scot and Jean Hanna of Marion; six grandchildren, Morgan Stogdill and her husband, Ryan, of Cedar Rapids, Kelsie Ralston and Amber Ralston of Monticello, Ashley Hanna of Davenport, Eric Hanna and Austin Hanna of Marion; two great-grandsons, Brody Hanna and Landon Stogdill; sister and brother-in-law, Karen ad Dale Buehler of Des Moines; three sisters-in-law and their husbands, Joyce and Pete Westphal of Wyoming, Wanda and Kyle Wilson of Hopkinton and Sheri and Bill Hatfield of Monticello; and nieces and nephews.

Keith was preceded in death by his parents, Presley and Esther; brother and sister-in-law, Galen and Diane Hanna; parents-in-law, Russell and Ilie Gray; and his beloved twin great-granddaughters, Sophia Grace and Madelyn Marie Stogdill.

Keith Marion Hanna was born Oct. 28, 1934, in Anamosa, Iowa, the son of Presley Mitchell and Esther Jane (Platner) Hanna. He graduated from Anamosa High School in 1952. After graduation he hauled livestock and grain for two years. During the 1950s and 1960s he drove school bus for Anamosa. One particular student that rode his bus was a sophomore named Beverly Jean Gray. She soon had a reserved seat right behind the bus driver, and as they say, the rest is history. Keith and Bev were married Oct. 28, 1956, at First Congregational Church in Anamosa. From 1954 to 1960, he worked road construction for ML Johnson in the summer and hauled fuel oil in the winter. When Presley died in 1960, Keith took over his dad's Conoco fuel truck business. In 1971, he went to work for Maquoketa Valley REC, where he was a boom truck operator until retiring in 1998. He stayed on, continuing to work part-time until 2002.

Keith was a member of the Anamosa Volunteer Fire Department for 27 years. He received the Sportsmanship Award for Monticello at the girl's state basketball tournament in 2008. He was a lifelong member of First Congregational Church in Anamosa and served on the church board. He and Pastor Billy created and cared for the brick memorial garden at church.

Keith enjoyed life's simple pleasures, including the morning paper and a cup of coffee, driving his pickup, a good book, Darrell's, The Pizza Ranch, iced tea, a friendly conversation, day trips with Bev, a family meal and watching the world go by with his dog Mitzi. He was a loyal fan of Dale Jr., the Iowa Hawkeyes, Denver Broncos, Monticello Panthers, and Marion Indians.

Almost every day of the week Keith and Bev could be found in a gym or at a ball field cheering on their grandkids. He loved his family and treasured their times together. He was a wonderful husband, dad, brother and very proud grandpa. Keith was a stranger to none, a friend to many, and a kind and gentle man. His memory will be cherished and he will be missed.

The family would like to send a special thank you to Dawn Koppes of Above and Beyond Hospice for her care and friendship she gave to Keith and his family.

God saw he was getting tired and the cure was not to be,

So He put His arms around him and whispered, “Come with me.”

With tearful eyes we watched him suffer and saw him fade away.

Although we loved him dearly, we could not make him stay.

A golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands to rest;

God broke our hearts to prove to us he only takes the best.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Above and Beyond Hospice of Monticello or First Congregational Church of Anamosa.

Thoughts, memories and condolences may be left at .

Published Sept. 19, 2011, in The Gazette