Obituary of Ruth Shill Keast, Pawnee County, KSGenWeb Digital Library

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied materiel. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires approval of the file's author.
----------------------------------------------------

THE TILLER AND TOILER, 4 July 1929

Obituary of RUTH SHILL KEAST

Death of Mrs. Thomas Keast

A resident of the county for more than 50 years, Mrs. Thomas Keast died at her home in Larned, 320 W. Eighth street, last Thursday morning. Funeral services were held at the Methodist church on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, conducted by Rev. G. H. Coster, and interment was in the Larned cemetery.
In the passing of Mrs. Keast the community loses a fine and useful citizen, who was an important factor as a pioneer in the upbuilding of this section of the state. Her death was due to a heart affliction. She was 72 years, 10 months, and one day old at the time of her death.
Ruth Shill was born near Warren, Ill., August 26, 1856. She was married to Thomas Keast at Warren, Illinois, October 11, 1877, and they immediately came to Pawnee county, where they went to housekeeping on Mr. Keast’s claim in Ash Valley township. To this union were born two children, Mrs. Elmer Conard of Timken, Kan., and Mrs. Leona Renner, who died May 3, 1920.
Mrs. Keast united with the Methodist church when a girl, and remained a faithful member through out her life. Upon coming to Kansas, she was active in the religious life of her community and was a charter member of the rural church organized there, the Pleasant Hill M. E. church.
Mr. and Mrs. Keast lived on their farm in Ash Valley for over 30 years and were prominent in all the activities of that community. In August 1908, they moved to Larned, purchasing the Clutter residence on West Eighth street, which has been their home since. Upon coming to Larned Mrs. Keast transferred her membership to the First Methodist church here and had been active in Ladies’ Aid and in other church work until about two years ago her health began to fail. She was a member of the Rebekah and Pythian Sister lodges.
Mr. and Mrs. Keast had spent all of their married life in this county, nearly 52 years, and experienced all the hardships of the pioneer settlers. Besides her husband and daughters, she is survived by a sister, Mrs. Henry Hugg, and one brother, Wallace Shill, both of this county; also by four grandsons, Ralph Renner of Sterling, Kan., and Arlyn, Russell and Wayne Conard of Timken, Kan.; and two great grandchildren Bobbie and Phyllis Renner.
Among those from out of town who attended funeral services were: Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Neese of Warren, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Clock, Freeport, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Hearn, of Marshal, Okla., Mr. and Mrs. Lou Potter and daughter, Miss Lucile of Hutchinson, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Conard of Hutchinson, John Renner, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Renner, Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Conard, and J. J. Conard, all of La Crosse.

Transcribed and Contributed by Richard Schwartzkopf

HOME PAGE for KANSAS STATE LIBRARY
An Extra special thanks to Blue Skyways, Home page for Kansas State Library, for donating space for the many KSGenWeb pages.

Page Design, HTML Coding and Layout - Copyright©2000-2009 by Kenneth Thomas, All Rights Reserved.
The KSGenWeb Project logo Copyright©1996-2009 by Tom & Carolyn Ward, All Rights Reserved.
For the limited use of the KSGenWeb Project. Permission is granted for use only on an Official KSGenWeb Project page.
Copyright for transcribed obituaries reside fully with the respective newspaper.