Imogene E. Keiser

Keiser, Imogene Elizabeth (Schenck), 101, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and a resident of Our Lady of Hope, Richmond,VA, passed away peacefully December 29, 2013. Imogene was born on February 3, 1912, on a farm east of Erwin, South Dakota. Her parents were William John Schenck and Eda Josephine (Gilbert) Schenck. Her life was centered on family and faith. Proud of her Norwegian heritage, she enjoyed keeping many of those traditions alive through her skillful handwork and fine cooking. Imogene was baptized on May 19, 1912, at West Bethany Lutheran Church, now located on the grounds of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Center in DeSmet, SD. In1915, the family moved to Bryant, SD where she attended grade school and graduated from Bryant High School in 1929. She attended Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen, SD from where she received a Teachers Certificate and taught at the one room Gerke Rural School in Clark County, SD for two years. On June 26, 1932, she was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart Clarence Andrew Keiser at Bethesda Lutheran Church, Hot Springs, SD. They made their home in Hot Springs for four years. In 1939, they opened their own store in Vienna, SD. In 1941, Clarence began working for Manchester Biscuit Co, now Keebler Biscuit Co. in Kansas and Norfolk, NE, where their daughter Sally was born. Wartime necessitated a move to Carmel, CA while Clarence served in the United States Army at Ft. Ord. The family returned to the Midwest in 1945 and eventually moved to Sioux Falls, SD in 1958, where they lived for 48 years. Imogene was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD for almost 50 years, from 1958-2006. She was an active member of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) founded in 1942. She was also a member of Zion Lutheran Ladies Bible Class and a leader of the Rebecca Circle at Zion. In 2006, following her move from Sioux Falls, SD to Richmond, VA at age 94 to be closer to her daughter, she joined Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Imogene will be remembered as a devoted wife and mother, a resilient and resourceful woman with a keen mind, the family historian, a skillful homemaker and organizer, excellent cook and seamstress. Her beautiful handwork was voluminous and varied, including Norwegian Hardanger embroidery, knitting, needlepoint, weaving, and quilting for Lutheran World Relief. She also read widely and enjoyed gardening, fishing, playing bridge, and family-centered activities. She always made preparing for Christmas through traditional Norwegian foods a highlight of the year. Imogene lived a full and rewarding life. God bless her and her memory. Preceding her in death was her beloved husband of 59 years, Clarence Andrew Keiser, and three of her sisters Evelyn Valentine, Hazel Knadle, and Shirley Vandervort. Grateful for having shared her life are her sister Ruby Oosterhuis (Turley) (Sioux Falls, SD); her daughter Sally and her husband Wayne (Richmond, VA); her grandson, Derek Edward Keiser Boese;, his wife Julie, and three great grandchildren, Vanessa Ryann , Shaun Edward , and Natalie Lynn Boese..(Metairie, LA). Imogene’s family would like to thank the caregivers and staff of Our Lady of Hope, especially The Christopher Center, for their loving care, and the members of Trinity for their frequent visits and support. A memorial service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, at 11 am Saturday, January 4, 2014. Visitation will begin at 10 am at Trinity Lutheran Church, 2315 N. Parham Road, Richmond. A funeral service will be held at a later date at Zion Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, SD. Interment will be in the Vienna Lutheran Cemetery, Vienna, South Dakota.. In lieu of flowers, gifts in her memory are suggested to Lutheran World Relief, P.O. Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061; Trinity Lutheran Church, 2315 N. Parham Road, Richmond, VA 23229; or to Zion Lutheran Church, 1400 S. Duluth Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57105. Condolences may be left at woodyfuneralhomeparham.com