Wanda (Morgan) Keith

Wanda Zell (Morgan) Keith, 95, lifelong Chester area farmwife who enjoyed ceramics, bowling, pinochle, dancing, traveling, Lionettes, and Red Hatters passed away peacefully on Monday, May 30th of natural causes at the Liberty County Nursing Home.

Funeral service to be held at 11:00 am, Monday, June 6th, 2022 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Chester, followed by burial at the Chester Cemetery.  A reception will follow at the church.  Arrangements are by Asper Funeral Homes.

Wanda was born on March 17th, 1927 in Chester to John H Morgan and Florence V (Nordstrom) Morgan.  At the age of 3, her father John died at Fort Harrison from tuberculosis.  In 1934, when Wanda was 7, her mother married George A Trovatten and they moved to Devon to make their home.  Wanda spent her elementary years attending the Devon School.  As a freshman, she moved to live with her grandmother, Jenny Nordstrom, in Chester, attending Chester High School where she was active in the school band, the journalism club, cheerleading and tap dancing. She graduated with the Class of 1945.

Upon graduating high school, Wanda completed the Civil Service exam in Shelby and then began working in the Liberty County Courthouse as a clerk-typist for the Welfare Office.  She continued to work there until 1949.

Wanda married her high school sweetheart, Earl Frederick Keith, on June 24th, 1947, in the Chester Lutheran Church, then moving into a log home built on their farm 13 miles south of Chester.  Here they raised their four daughters; Earlene, Jenny, Ryndee and Rhonda.

A devastating tragedy struck the Keith family in 1968.  Their second daughter, Jenny Lee, a senior in high school at the time, was killed in a car accident near Chester.

Wanda was very active in the community in many ways, and happiest when volunteering to help.  She served on the PTA, volunteered at the country school and Sunday school, Mother Advisor in Rainbow girls, Eastern Star, Junior Advisor in Royal Neighbors of America, Ruth Circle at the Lutheran Church, Lionettes, Red Hatters to name a few; and then there are the countless wedding showers and receptions, baby showers, anniversary parties, or just to lend a helping hand – Wanda was there, often leading the way with her great sense of humor and kind heart.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Florence; her stepdad, George; her husband, Earl; and her daughter, Jenny Lee Keith.

Survivors include daughters, Earlene (Bob) Hemmer of Belgrade, Ryndee (John) Trotter of Knoxville, TN, and Rhonda (Russ) Pimley of Chester; six grandchildren, three step grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.