Terry Don Keener Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Terry Don Keener was the first born to Don and Hila (Laird) Keener on April 30th, 1944. Terry attended Washington Country School through 8th grade and then graduated from Knoxville High School in 1963. After graduating he went home to work on the family farm in rural Knoxville and also helped attend to the family gas station which is currently known as Keener Oil Company of rural Harvey. In 1965 he married Leilani Weiter of Muscatine, Iowa. They soon moved to Phoenix, Arizona where they resided for a few years. While they were there Terry worked and enrolled in a trade program for tool and die. Later they returned to Iowa where he continued farming and raising hogs. He had two sons Terry Sean and Tony Dion who kept him busy with their 4H projects, motorcycles, and everyday rural adventures. Terry continued helping at the Station throughout his entire lifetime. He and his mother, Hila, once made a day trip to Northern Iowa to bring back a backhoe for his Ferguson tractor. Terry and Hila came flying home with a trailer and backhoe in tow behind her Lincoln Continental at 70mph! Terry did many digging jobs with the backhoe for other people. Later when a Ford dump truck was added to the collection he hauled many loads of driveway gravel for others around the neighborhood. Although he had Rheumatoid Arthritis his entire life, Terry could fix anything. He knew how to look at something, see how to take it apart and proceed ahead with some help from whoever was working with him. If no one was around though, he made himself special “tools” to help him get the job done. Terry’s crippled, bent fingers could do almost anything- he had lots of patience when working on something, whether it be from overhauling a lawn mower engine to restoring vehicles and tractors from the ground up. Terry knew no stranger, anyone who walked in the Station door would be greeted with a sharp ‘how ya doin’. Often times they’d lose track of time after being caught up in an hour or two of conversation, laughs and probably a little bit of bullshitting. Terry passed away on Saturday, August 1, 2020 at the Knoxville Area Community Hospital from health complications at the age of 76 years, 3 months, and 2 days. He was proceeded in death by his parents Don and Hila Keener, his sister Vicki Keener, infant sister Connie Keener, his son Terry Sean, and ex-wife Leilani. Those left to honor his memory, his son: Tony (Kari) Keener; sisters: Debbie (Les) Beaver, Cindee (Jim) Sytsma; his favorite and only niece Kara (Carla) Beaver; granddaughter: Caitlin Keener and two step granddaughters: Madelyn and Medjina. Memorials may be made to the Family or to Bethel Cemetery.

Terry Don Keener

April 30, 1944 - August 1, 2020