Galen Keller

Galen Dwight Keller…

was born on November 12, 1956 to Marvin and Shirley (Lehrkamp) Keller in Pierre, South Dakota where he was raised. On January 6, 1957, he was baptized at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Harrold, South Dakota. He attended Pierre Elementary School and T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre. After his graduation in 1975, Galen traveled the States as the State FFA President for one year. He then attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota, graduating with an Associates of Art Degree in Agriculture in 1978. Then, in 1982, he went back to SDSU and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture and Biological Science. During this time, he met Kathleen Winter. On September 1, 1984, they were united in marriage at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Pierre. Following their marriage, they moved to Mitchell, South Dakota where Galen taught the Adult Farm Ranch Management Division at Mitchell Vocational Technical College. Later they moved to Chamberlain, South Dakota and Galen taught Ag Education at the Chamberlain High School. They also welcomed their first daughter, Megan. In December of 1986, the family moved to a farmhouse near Pipestone, Minnesota. Galen began selling insurance for a short time and worked at Bayliner until 1987, when he became employed with the United States Postal Service as a mail carrier. In 1988, they welcomed their second daughter, Amy and in 1995, Becky was born. In 2009, they moved into Pipestone where they currently reside. On Saturday, September 27, 2014, Galen was admitted to the Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he died on Thursday, October 9, 2014 at the age of 57 years, ten months and 27 days.

Galen attended Cornerstone Free Church in Pipestone. He was a member of Rural Letter Carriers of America, was on the board of directors for Hiawatha Manor and owned and managed an apartment building in Pipestone. In his earlier years, he was on the summer swim team. He was very active with FFA where he served as the State FFA President. He loved flowers, shrubs, and trees, both indoors and out. He enjoyed hunting and boating. Galen was very supportive of his daughters with their 4-H projects, especially the horses and sheep. He loved spending time with his family, especially his three girls.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Kathleen Keller of Pipestone, Minnesota; his daughters, Megan Keller of Texas, Amy Lundberg and her husband Aaron of Washougal, Washington and Becky Keller of Rochester, Minnesota; his mother, Shirley Keller of Pierre, South Dakota; and his sisters, Renee Knapp and her husband Dale of Pierre and Paula Keller of Panama City, Florida. He is preceded in death by his father, Marvin Keller and his maternal and paternal grandparents.