Grace Keister

Grace L. Keister, a resident of rural Albion and wife of Lester "Pete" Keister, passed away at 1:15 p. m. on Sunday, July 31, 2011, at Parkview Whitley Hospital in Columbia City.e She had been a patient there for the past five days. Mrs. Keister was born in Churubusco on November 26, 1930, a daughter of Ralph and Effie (Tarlton) Shanabarger.e She spent her formative years in Churubusco and graduated from Churubusco High School in 1948. On July 7, 1951 she was united in marriage in Merriam to Lester "Pete" Keister, and lived all of her adult life in Noble County.e For 45 years she assisted her husband in the operation of the Merriam Feed Mill, retiring from there in 1993. She was a member of the Merriam Christian Chapel, and was a former Sunday School teacher.e She was also a member ofe the Noble County Home Economics Club, and had volunteered as a Noble Township 4-H leader for several years. The surviving relatives include her husband Lester "Pete" Keister, to whom she was married for over 60 years; a son Gary (Norma) Keister of Goshen; two daughters Marcia (Steve) Provines of Auburn and Deb (Bill) Smith of Wawaka; a brother Morris "Bill" Shanabarger of Churubusco; her sister Norma Waters of Muldrow, Oklahoma; two sisters-in-law Joan Keller of Churubusco and Louise Shanabarger of Avilla; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by three brothers Robert Shanabarger, Lee Shanabarger, and Glenn Shanabarger; and a great-grandchild Adarah Grace Clark. Funeral services will be held at 11 a. m. on Thursday, August 4, 2011, at the Merriam Christian Chapel with Pastor Terry L. Zolman, officiating. The family will receive friends at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco on Wednesday from 2-4 and from 6-8 p. m., or at the church one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in the Christian Chapel Cemetery, Merriam. For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Riley Hospital for Children, 705 Riley Hospital Dr., Indianapolis, INe 46202;e or American Cancer Society, 111 E. Ludwig Rd., #105, Fort Wayne, INe 46825 ***********************************