ROBERT “BOB” KEITHLY

LAMAR- A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, at Daniel Funeral Home for Robert “Bob” Keithly, 83, who died Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Burial will follow in Newton Burial Park in Nevada, Mo.

A visitation will be held prior to the service, beginning at 1 p.m.

Contributions are suggested and should be made payable to either the Barton County Senior Citizens Center of The Good Samaritan Shop, in care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be shared at www.dfhlamar.com.

Survivors include his son, Michael Keithly and wife Vercie, Lamar; his daughter, Teresa Butler and husband John, Pella, Iowa; nine grandchildren, Vashti Buzard and husband Braden, Bradly Keithly and wife Rebecah, Carrie Dixon and husband Doug, Aiden Keithly, Pherra Keithly, Garret Keithly, Kolton Keithly, Ethan Butler and wife Larissa and Kaylee Butler and fiance Blake Conant; eight great-grandchildren, True Keithly, Raelyn Keithly, Dez Dixon, Aurora Dixon, Ray Dixon, Eliza Dixon, Alec Dixon, Eva Joy Butler and baby Keithly due in November; one brother, Donald Keithly and wife LaMalva, Lamar and two sisters, Betty Kuhn, Lamar and Debra Keithly, Kansas City, Kan.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean; one sister, Marcella Choate; brother-in-laws, Roger Kuhn and Charles Choate and a great-grandson, Trace Keithly.

Mr. Keithly was born May 3, 1941, in Milo, to Wilbur Leon Keithly and Mary Helen (Shutters) Keithly. In 1957 his family relocated to Lamar, where he finished his schooling and graduated in 1959. After attending Pittsburg State University, he decided to pursue a different path in life. Through mutual friends he met the love of his life, Jeannie Mayfield. They continued to stay in touch while he began working for Finley Engineering as a surveyor on military missile sites in Wall, S.D. The two were married on June 16, 1963, beginning a lifelong journey together.

Auto mechanics was his first love and over the course of 25 years he supported his family working for Carl Moore, Medlin-Frieden and Gilkey Chevrolet. He had a natural mechanical mind and found his greatest joy in fixing things, always working with his hands and solving problems. He later applied those skills working on the Maintenance Department at O'Sullivan Industries. He officially retired in 2003 and over the course of 17 years began a series of "post-retirement" jobs. He maintained the grounds for the Barton County Courthouse, which eventually led him to work with the county road and bridge crew. Being able to work outdoors, run heavy equipment and enjoying the camaraderie of his coworkers made it one of his most gratifying jobs. 

He spent the last seven years volunteering and serving on the board of the Good Samaritan Shop until his health declined. In addition to his strong work ethic, unwavering determination and dedication to helping others, he had a wonderful sense of humor and brought joy and laughter to those around him.

He loved antique tractors, even restoring the one he learned to farm with as a child, a 1947 Massey-Harris Pony. He enjoyed going on tractor rides, camping and fishing at Roaring River, traveling, gardening, homemade banana ice cream and tinkering in his workshop. He was also an active member of the Lamar Methodist Church.