Verna Lou Keller

Verna was born on March 26, 1934 in Seattle and spent her first few years in Snohomish. Her family moved to Everett when she was very young and she grew up there. She graduated from Everett High School in 1952.

Verna married Richard Keller on June 18, 1954 at Calvary Baptist Church in Everett. They set up housekeeping in an 18 ft. Alma trailer in Moses Lake, WA where Dick was stationed in the Air Force. Eventually they were able to obtain on-base space for their trailer. After discharge they moved to Everett. They later bought a larger trailer and moved to Seattle. In 1961 they purchased the home that they shard for over 50 years.

They were married for 58 years and together they raised four children, Karen, Margaret, Edwin and Vernon.

Karen has been married for 37 years to Pat Engle; they live in Tukwila and have two children, Michael and Brian. Margaret has been married for 16 years to Mark Rogers; they just moved to Austin, TX and have two children, Jessica and Sarah. Edwin passed away in 2003 from colon cancer. Vernon is divorced, lives in Renton, and has three stepchildren, Kiersten, Dustin and Kyle.

She really enjoyed relaxing at "The Property" in Ronald, WA during the summer months. She and Dick spent 3 or 4 months each year during the winter in their motor home in Yuma, AZ forming many friendships with people from across the US and Canada.

Verna was a great wife & mother who was always there for her family. She got up every morning to fix breakfast for her family and dinner every evening. She was always involved in the every day lives of her children, including allowing her sons to practice their wrestling moves on her in the middle of the living room. Even after they were all adults she still stayed very active in their lives. All of her children’s friends loved her because she was the “cool Mom”.

She loved going shopping with her daughters, including antique shopping and looking for souvenirs from the Seattle Worlds Fair and Expo 86, both of which her entire family had attended together.

The family all went on an Alaska cruise together with extended family including Margie Burke and several of her children. The group ended up being around 20 people with family and friends. She really enjoyed seeing the glaciers and going on the White Pass and Yukon Railway.

Another cruise she thoroughly enjoyed was taken with Karen & Pat through the Panama Canal. During that cruise she was able to realize a lifelong dream of watching the Acapulco cliff divers.

Verna told her family when she learned that she had cancer that she was going to fight it with all she had, but if it was her time she was ready. She said she had lived a long, full and happy life and that is obvious in the legacy she leaves behind in her family.