Georgia L Keim

Georgia Keim will be remembered as a woman of faith, family, friends, and fellowship. She felt a gratitude and obligation to family, neighbors, church, and community and therefore held a deep conviction that one should always "be present" for others. Georgia Keim passed away on Feb. 8, 2016 at Blue Valley Lutheran Nursing Home in Hebron, Nebraska at the age of 77 years. Her husband was by her side, as he has been for their nearly 60 years of marriage -- supporting, comforting, and cherishing her. Georgia Lou Keim was born in Hebron, NE to Harold and Wilma (Bailey) Bice on May 11, 1938. She attended school in Carleton, NE where she grew up with her sisters Wanda (Bice) Tegtmeier and Helen (Bice) Garrels. Before her senior year, Carleton's school closed. She graduated from Bruning Public School in May 1956. While she worked for the hospital in Hebron the summer after graduation, she always knew she was "destined for the farm." While in high school, she met Joe Keim from Davenport, NE who thought she was "really a good looking gal." She stole his heart. They were married on November 25, 1956 at the First Methodist Church in Carleton. She was 18 1/2 years old when she arrived at her new home in Davenport and was immediately tasked with cooking for all the men who were helping her husband shell corn. Their first child was born less than a year later. Their four children, David, Kathy, James, and Patricia were the focus of many of her activities. She was a cub scout den mother, a softball coach, a 4-H leader, and a volunteer/chaperon for the many speech, drama, music, and sports activities of her children. She embraced the mantle of "homemaker" which included discing, cutting stalks, butchering chickens, gathering and selling eggs, separating and selling cream, cooking for everyone her husband invited home, and caring for her family. She was an active member of her community, serving United Methodist Women, the American Legion Auxiliary, Eastern Star, the Nuckolls County Extension Club, and the Davenport Library Board. Her commitments also included serving as President of the Carleton Alumni Association and more than ten years as Co-President of the Davenport Women's Club. After her children were grown, she worked outside the home. She helped start "Country Catering," that was part of many celebrations and memorials between 1989 and 1994. Later, she cooked for the Davenport Senior Center and oversaw the expansion of its food service from Davenport to all of Thayer County. For many years she also served the community by opening her bed and breakfast in Davenport to anyone who needed a few more rooms for guests. Perhaps her greatest joy, though, was spending time with her grandchildren, her great-granddaughter and the children of nieces, nephews, and neighbors that she loved like grandchildren. Her only regret was not having more time to see them all grow into the wonderful adults she knows they will be. Georgia is survived by her husband, Joe Keim, of Davenport, NE; her son, David Keim, wife, Janice (Nunnenkamp) Keim, granddaughter Dona Keim, and great-granddaughter, Briella Keim of Sutton, NE; her daughter, Kathy Keim of Bartlesville, OK; her son, James Keim, wife, Christi (Ehresman) Keim, and grandchildren Mason and Ava Keim of Lincoln, NE; her daughter, Trish (Keim) Thorell, husband, Mike Thorell, and twin granddaughters, Elin and Olivia Thorell of Omaha, NE; her sister Helen Garrels and husband Dennis Garrels, of Grand Island, NE; and her sisters-in-law Margaret Keim of Lincoln, NE and Betty Keim of New York. Georgia was preceded in death by her parents Harold and Wilma (Bailey) Bice; her sister Wanda Tegtmeier and Oscar Tegtmeier of Davenport; and her sister-in-law Nancy (Keim) Sanburg and Ron Sanburg of Kansas City. Funeral services were held on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 at 10:30 AM at the Davenport United Methodist Church.

The family requests that memorial gifts be made in Georgia's honor to the Davenport First United Methodist Church or the Davenport Community Center.