Ruth Keeny

Ruth Keeny, 92, of Michigan Center, Michigan, formerly of St. Joseph & South Haven, Michigan, passed away, Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at Heartland Nursing Home in Jackson. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:00 A.M. Monday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, with Rev. Philip Beavers officiating. Burial will follow at Maple Hill Cemetery in Hartford. Friends may call from 2:00 until 5:00 P.M. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorials may be to the Benton Harbor-Fairplain Lions Club or the Lions Club in your area. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Ruth was born November 5, 1915 in Homewood, Illinois. On June 12, 1937, she married Allen Keeny in Hartford. Upon settling in South Haven, Ruth was employed at South Haven Community Hospital. After moving to St. Joseph, she was employed as an LPN at Memorial Hospital, retiring in 1980 after 19 years of service. Ruth was a member of the Fairplain Lianas Club where she served as president from 1980-1981. She and her husband Allan were active in the Blind Bowlers Association. Most recently she was a member of the Michigan Center Senior Nutrition Center. In her spare time she enjoyed knitting & crocheting. Ruth is survived by two sons-Donald (Nancy) Keeny of Michigan Center, James (Alice) Keeny of South Haven; nine grandchildren-David (Reta) Keeny, Debra (Jamie) Bernal, Kimberly (Keith) Emrich, Tracey (Mark) Bell, Lori Schurr, Scott (Margaret) Keeny, Sheryl Arnett, Joseph Sutton, James (Holly) Sutton; 20 great-grandchildren; 7 great-great-grandchildren; and her sister Betty Dibble of Columbus, IN. Ruth was preceded in death by two infant daughters, her parents, her husband Allan in September 1996, her brother Robert Chambers, and two sisters-Gertrude Umbanhowar & Virginia Owens.