Obituary of Alice Elmarine Keesling

Alice Elmarine Keesling (nee Blankenship), age 89, of Doniphan, MO, died at home in the presence of her family, December 15, 2016 of Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia. Alice was born September 24, 1927 in Conway, MO to Frank and Clara Blankenship (nee Gann). She was the second of three children. She attended schools in the Conway area and graduated from Conway High School. Following graduation, she took a job as a telephone operator in nearby Springfield MO. She was married September 28, 1946, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Rader MO to James “Jim” Davis Keesling of Conway. Shortly thereafter, Jim joined the Navy and she both traveled with and supported him throughout his 20-year Navy career and beyond. She setup homemaking and helped raise their three children in numerous places, to include: East Pines Maryland; Wahiawa Hawaii; Adak Alaska; Northwest and Chesapeake/Norfolk Virginia; Guam; Yokohama Japan; San Diego, Sonoma, and Poway California. She retired with Jim to Doniphan MO in 1983. In retirement, she enjoyed sewing, reading, cooking, gardening and extensive travel throughout the US with Jim. A lifelong Christian, she attended Missouri Synod Lutheran Churches and was a longtime member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Doniphan. She was active in Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and various other charities. Her Confirmation verse is: Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. (Revelation 2:10b) Late in life, she suffered both the loss of her first son Franklin James to cancer and then her husband Jim’s fall into dementia/Alzheimer’s. She was Jim’s primary caregiver until she lost her strength due to onset of leukemia. She is survived by her husband of 70 years, James D. Keesling of Doniphan, her son William Keesling of Republic MO, her daughter Paula Jo and husband Darrell Hill of Hollister MO, 4 grandchildren: Leslie, Alyson, Colleen, and Amanda, and 6 great-grandchildren: Jacob, Hailey, Gage, Isabel, Autumn, and John. She was preceded in death by her older sister Francis Pauline Colby (June 13, 2006), her younger brother James Delbert Blankenship (April 23, 2011), and her first son Franklin James Keesling (August 31, 2011). Alice was an exemplary wife and mother who served her family with a selfless, loving spirit. Her life could be summed up as one of service to others. She never lost her sense of humor. She will be missed beyond measure. Services for Mrs. Keesling will be held Thursday afternoon, December 22, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Doniphan. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or a charity of your choice.