Elsie Mae Keck Obituary

Description: Elsie Mae Keck Obituary... Our Heartfelt Condolences To Her Loved Ones...

May 14th, 1926 - October 17th, 2024

Obituary

Elsie Mae (Bender) Keck, age 98, went to be with the Lord on October 17, 2024, at Fowler Healthcare Nursing Home where she was a resident for the past 3 ½ years.
Elsie was born on May 14, 1926, to Fredrich and Elizabeth (Brungard) Bender in Tacoma, Washington. She was the third child born to this marriage – an older sister, Martha and older brother, Harold and a younger sister, Mary Ann completed this family.

She attended school in Tacoma and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1944. After graduating, Elsie donned blue coveralls and a red or yellow bandana and was one of America’s “Rosie the Riveters” doing her part for the war effort by placing rivets in Boeing aircraft wings.

On January 1, 1945, she was attending a USO dance and was swept off her feet by a Navy sailor, William “Bill” Keck, and after a lengthy courtship of 22 days, she and Bill were married on January 23, 1945.
After she and Bill married, Elsie was a welder for SeaTac Shipyards where she welded on the arm of fuel floats in the fuel tanks. When she met Bill, she was working on the USS Gilbert Islands which was a converted aircraft carrier and Bill was on the commissioning crew for that ship!

In November of 1946, Bill was honorably discharged from the Navy and he and Elsie bought train tickets and headed to Rocky Ford where Bill’s parents lived.
The newlyweds purchased one of the American Crystal Sugar Factory houses on north 4th Street while Elsie worked at Donk’s Variety Store and then JC Penny in La Junta. A move to Fort Collins found her employed by Berthoud Family Store in Forth Collins & Longmont Family Store for twenty years. Elsie was an excellent seamstress and utilized her alteration skills. In 1972, Elsie and Bill were part owners in The Classic Department Store in Fort Collins. After six years, the couple moved to Longmont to open Howell Department Store.

In the mid-80’s, the couple moved back to Rocky Ford– they were faithful members of the Methodist Church wherever they lived and continued so with the First United Methodist Church in Rocky Ford.
After Bill Keck passed away in 2010, Elise’s positive approach to life and friendships motivated her.

Elise was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Keck, brother, Harold Bender and sisters, Martha Bannick and Mary Ann Seaburg. Also preceded in death by her brothers-in-law, Leland Hamm and Heny Bitter, and niece, Sherry Gomez.

She is survived by her nieces: Joyce (Ed) Clute of La Junta, Sandra Hamm of Pueblo West, Darlene Elgin of Strasburg, CO and Joetta Allan of Wichita, KS, great nieces: Leslie Carman, Debbie Gomez and great-nephew, Brian (Becky) Clute and several great-great nieces and nephews. Also surviving is her brother in law, Arlen Seaburg of Tacoma Washington and Gail Zimmerman of Rocky Ford who has been a dear friend to Elsie, enabling her independent living for many, many years.

Memorial contributions can be made to the First United Methodist Church, 301 W. Washington Ave., Rocky Ford, CO 81067.

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