Cecilia Keller, 91 of Spearfish, passed away on Monday, December 2, 2024.

Cecilia was born February 4, 1933, in Grant County, Shields, North Dakota to Joseph and Lena Klein. Cecilia was the third oldest of nine children. Cecilia was a baby when her parents moved to Belle Fourche, South Dakota in 1933 to work sugar beets in the Dirty 30's, when farming in North Dakota was impossible.

Cecilia and her siblings started school in Newell and later went to Webb School in the country before going back to Newell School. In 1948, her parents purchased their own farm and by then sugar beets farming was getting less and less. Soon the sugar beets factory in Belle Fourche closed. That ended sugar beets farming.

Her last semester of her senior year of high school, she went to work half days at First National Bank of the Black Hills, in Newell. She graduated from Newell High School in June of 1953. She then married the love of my life, Alfred R. Silvernagel. They were married 34 years when Alfred passed in 1987.

In 1988, she married Frank P. Keller from Piedmont, South Dakota and they continued to live there until Frank passed away on August 15, 2008. Cecilia stayed on the place for another two years and then sold the place and purchased a townhouse in Spearfish, to be near her family.

Over the years Cecilia was active in her communities, serving as operation and loan officer at her bank, she was City Treasurer of Newell City for six years and was chairperson for Jr. Miss Pageant for several years in Newell.

Some of Cecilia's many hobbies were bowling, crocheting, needlework, China painting, picture puzzles, woodwork, Sudoku, and recently finished an embroidered quilt with 36 blocks and was entered into the Black Hills Quilter Guild and received 1st place with a Blue Ribbon.

She loved cooking and baking her favorite "Kuchen", a special treat for all family occasions. She also loved playing cards and dominoes at the Spearfish Senior Center where she was a lifetime member. She is also a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and a lifetime member of the American Legion.

Cecilia is survived by her daughter Beverly (Gerald) Draine of Spearfish, SD; granddaughter Heather (Mike) Davies of Newcastle, WY, grandson Nicholas (Caitlin) Draine of Anchorage, AK, granddaughter Jillian (Kyle) Kennedy of Rochester, MN; great-grandchildren, Denali Davies, Caleb Draine and Corrine Burr; brother Cas Klein of Bismarck, ND; sister Regina McCoy of Browerville, MN; sister-in-law Virginia Klein of Sturgis, SD; stepdaughters, Mary Kay (Dennis) Moran, Patty Mattingly, Linda Bell, Madonna (Tom) Costello; stepson Michael (Teresa) Keller; and many step-grandchildren and great-step-grandchildren.

Cecilia is preceded in death by her parents, five brothers, and her husbands: Alfred Silvernagel and Frank P. Keller.

Rosary Vigil will begin at 7:30 pm on Monday, December 9, 2024 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Spearfish.   Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, December 10 at the church.  Burial will follow at Hope Cemetery in Newell, South Dakota. Memorials have been established to St. Joseph Catholic Church or the Spearfish Senior Center.

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Isburg Crematory of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com