Grace Lee Keeling

Grace L. Keeling, daughter of the late William Pleasant and Hazel Amy Heartwell Maddox, was born in Portageville, Missouri on May 7, 1929, and passed away at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on July 23, 2016, at the age of 87 years, 2 months and 16 days. She had lived many years in the Hayti and Steele and had spent the past 25 years in Dexter. She had worked at a nursing home in Steele for many years in housekeeping a and was a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. She was first married to Jewel Warner Burris in 1946 and he preceded her in death in 1985. On November 3, 1986, she was married to Ivy John "I.J." Keeling in Blytheville, Arkansas. He preceded her in death on April 26, 2014. Surviving are two daughters, Pat Ellis of Dexter, Jodi Wyatt of Cape Girardeau; four sons, Larry and Mike Burris both of Dexter, Eddie Burris of St. Louis, Darrell Burris of Poplar Bluff; fourteen grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren; five sisters, Gladys Smith of Humboldt, Tennessee, Maythel Hubbard of Glen Carbon, Illinois, Barbara Ricter of Dallas, Texas, Jan King of Wappapello, Missouri, Wilma Cravens of Atlanta, Georgia; one brother, Don Allen of Poplar Bluff. Other relatives and friends also survive. She was preceded in death by one great grandson, Andy Burris; two brothers, Billy & Henry Allen and one sister, Bessie Allen. Visitations will be held on Tuesday, July 26, 2016, after 2:00 p.m. at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter, Missouri. Memorial Funeral services will be held Tuesday, July 26, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. at the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter with Frank Lane of Hayti, Missouri officiating. Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements.