Richard E. Keeney

Richard E. Keeney, 86, longtime Warden resident, passed away at his home on Feb. 7, 2007, following a long battle with cancer. R.E. "Dick" Keeney was born on Oct.13, 1920, in Coleman County, Texas to Thomas Ernest and Georgia Lobstein Keeney. He grew up east of Coleman, Texas on land originally purchased by his grandfather, Isaac Keeney. He was baptized in Jim Ned Creek in 1934. In 1939 Keeney joined the U.S. Army at Ft. Bliss, Texas. His duty assignment sent him to Seattle, Wash. where he met Mary N. Neergaard. They were married on June 6, 1943. He was discharged from the Army as a Staff Sergeant in 1945. Dick and Mary spent seven years in Seattle where two children were born to them, John Richard and Georgia Ann. In 1950, the family moved to Grandview, Wash. where Dick took up farming until 1962. Two more children were born to them while in Grandview; Mary Christine and Kathryn Elizabeth. In 1964, the family moved to Othello where Dick held the position of general manager for Labbee Mint Farm's Columbia Basin farming operation. On Nov. 10, 1973, Dick married LaDawn Woolley Maw and soon after moved to Warden where the couple built a home and started a machine shop business. Dick entered the political arena in 1992 when he was elected mayor of Warden and served the city in that capacity through December 2003. His position as mayor of Warden led Dick into many areas of civic service. He was a member and chairman of the North Columbia Community Action Council, chairman of the Big Bend Economic Development Council and chairman and founder of Grant Transit Authority. In 1995, The Washington State DOT honored Dick "for outstanding service in promoting public transportation in Washington State" and in 1999 his name was added to the Wall of Fame by the Washington State Public Transportation and Rail Conference. Dick served as president and eight-year member of the Big Bend Resource Conservation and Development Council and was a 10-year member of the board of directors for Cities Insurance Association of Washington. He was most recently Ombudsman of the area's Aging & Adult Care Agency. On March 15, 2004, American Legion Post 209 cited Dick for over 50 years of continuous Legion membership. He was also a member of the Warden Kiwanis Club. Dick was an avid fisherman, fishing various lakes, rivers and reservoirs around the Northwest with his longtime friend, Bill Bisnet. One of his dreams was accomplished when he landed a salmon on the Deschutes River of north central Oregon. Dick was preceded in death by his former wife Mary in 1993. He is survived by wife LaDawn of Warden, son John Richard of grass Valley, Ore., daughters Georgia Bruce of Kennewick, Cris Nielson of Eagle Mountain, Utah and Kate Banaszak of Rapid City, S.D.; Son Richard John Sherbon of Puyallup, Wash.; stepchildren LuAnn Presnell of Othello, Steve Maw of Ronan, Mont., Stacy Maw of Candian, Okla., and Duane Maw of St. George, Utah, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A final visitation will be held Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. with church services at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Warden. Arrangements are in care of Stevens Funeral Chapel, Othello.