Keith La Rue

Keith Wayne La Rue, 89, of Mountainburg, was called home to the Lord the night of Sunday, October 30, 2022. Keith was born May 20, 1933 to Jesse and Mildred (Arlington) La Rue at the height of the Great Depression, in rural northern Crawford County, Arkansas, Upper Township, atop the ridge along Old 12 Crossroads west of Chester. As a young child he walked to the wooden school building nearby that still stands along Freedom Road. The family later moved to the west side of Frog Bayou just west of Mountainburg, and Keith starred in several sports at Mountainburg schools.

Keith then entered the U.S. Navy and saw combat in the Korean Conflict, where he served as an amphibious landing craft operator. After the military, Keith married Mariam Nolen Clark of Mountainburg, and became part of the security team at the nation’s nuclear labs at Los Alamos, NM, where his daughter Kim was born. It was in New Mexico that Keith developed a love for the desert southwest. He took his family road tripping across the west often. This led to him taking a job with the Border Patrol in Arizona. Keith was first stationed as the only enforcement officer in the tiny, remote village of Sasabe, AZ, immediately across from a small village in Sonora, Mexico, and developed many friendships on both sides of the border. He later moved to U.S. Customs, eventually overseeing the Customs facility at Arizona’s most used border crossing.

After the passing of his wife, Keith moved back to the Mountainburg area, to a beautiful home off Graphic Road, where he retired, enjoying his extended family. In his final years he became a servant in the community, volunteering at service organizations such as area food banks.

Keith was a faithful member of the Mountainburg Presbyterian Church, and sung in its choir. He grew a beard to be Santa’s “helper” there, and a generation of wide-eyed youngsters whispered and pulled on it while he laughed. Keith always had a positive outlook and faced life with a kind smile and an ever-present soft chuckle. He was a truly kind and strong man who was loved by many.

Keith is survived by his daughter, Kim Baker of Mountainburg and Fort Smith; a sister, Joyce Rogers of Mountainburg; a granddaughter, Tasha Keeland of Mountainburg, as well as grandchildren, Ashley, Brittany, Kyle, and Sierra, and seven great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank his granddaughter Tasha for living with and taking care of him in his home for many years, allowing him to live there comfortably until near the end, as well as his caring medical team and staff at Alma Heath & Rehab, who assisted him in his final few days.

Cremation is under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren, AR.

A memorial service will be set at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests heartfelt donations be made to the River Valley Food bank.