Betty Keen

Betty Keen, 92, of Marshalltown, Iowa, passed away on the morning of October 7, 2023 at the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown surrounded by her loving family.

Services for Betty will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at the LeGrand Friends Church beginning at 10:30 A.M. A visitation for family and friends will be held on Friday, October 13, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Iowa River Hospice. For additional information or to send a condolence to the family please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.

Betty Lorraine Adair was born November 20, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. She was the oldest of four children born to Orville and Mildred (Richards) Adair. Betty grew up in the Tama and Garwin area. She attended school in LeGrand, Iowa and graduated from LeGrand High School in the class of 1948.

On June 9, 1950, Betty was united in marriage to the love of her life Jack Keen at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. She and Jack resided in LeGrand and she helped to farm and operate the machinery alongside Jack. Together they had two children, Gail and Kim. Betty began after high school working for Johnson Seed Company running the detasseling equipment. From there she worked for Western Grocers in clerical positions. She also worked for Lennox Industries and Walgreens in Marshalltown from which she eventually retired.

Betty was very active in many clubs and organizations. She was a member of the LeGrand Friends Church, the Eastern Star, the LeGrand Birthday Club, Quaker Lane Club and the LeGrand Literary Club. In her free time, Betty loved to crochet especially afghans for her family. She also enjoyed gardening, taking care of her family, working on the farm alongside Jack and babysitting the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Betty is survived by her husband of 73 years, Jack Keen; her son, Kim (Vickie Gummert) Keen; her grandchildren, Brittney (Matt) Gaukler and Jon (Heather) Keen; her great-grandchildren, Kaillee Keen, Jaecob Keen, Marisa Boerm, Aaden Boerm, Camdyn Boerm, Elena Keen and Maddsen Gaukler; her sisters, Barbara Rockhill and Bonnie Sievers and sister-in-law, Marcia Lynne Keen.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Orville and Mildred Adair; her daughter, Gail Keen; her sister, De Onne Johnson; and her mother and father-in-law, Howard and Vivian Keen.