Maria Keen

1941 - 2021

Maria Keen

Dec. 8, 1941 - July 24, 2021

Maria (Schmotz) Keen, 79, known as Mamma Maria by many, passed away peacefully surrounded by her entire family, in her home in Lorena on Saturday, July 24, after a nearly six year battle against pancreatic cancer.

Maria was born in a small farming village in the Sudetenland of occupied Czechoslovakia on December 8, 1941. Following the war, Maria, along with her mother, two brothers were expelled from Czechoslovakia to Germany where she would spend the remainder of her childhood. In February of 1956, on a blind date, she met the love of her life and partner in crime, with whom she would spend the next 60 years, with PFC Herman Keen of Roth, Virginia. The happy couple married on August 12, 1960. In 1961, Maria immigrated to the US and gave birth to their first child, Maria Linda, the following year. On June 8, 1965, she officially became a US citizen. Following her husband's extensive military career, the couple settled down in the Waco area and gave birth to their son, Michael Lee in 1977. The happy family spent the next 12 years living in Hewitt before finding their forever home in Lorena in 1990. Maria worked several years for Levi Strauss, and following its closure, spent the remainder of her professional career at AAFES until she retired in 2002.

Maria was famous for her hospitality, and even more so for her wonderful traditional German cooking. And all those who knew her always looked forward to Christmas time, when she would bring cans of traditional German Christmas cookies to anyone and everyone. Maria also loved volunteering, and for the past several years faithfully delivered food for meals on wheels. She was one of the founding members of St. Jerome's Catholic Church, and would often fondly speak of the early days at the K.C. Hall folding chairs after mass.

Maria was preceded in death by her parents (Karl, 1989 and Maria, 2006); her brothers and sister; as well as her husband of 50+ years, Herman, in 2016; and their beloved dog, Gretchen in 2019. She is survived by her daughter, Maria Shoesmith of New Braunfels; her son, Michael and daughter-in law, Jeannine, of Hamburg, Germany; grandson, Eric and his wife, Ashley Shoesmith, of Leander; grandson, Julian Keen; and granddaughter, Ella Keen of Hamburg, Germany; and great-grandsons, Caseton and Bryce Shoesmith of Leander; and her sweet puppy, Heidi.

Memorial service will be 10 a.m., Friday, July 30, 2021, at the funeral home. Inurnment will follow at Killeen Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas at 2 p.m. Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 29, 2021 at the funeral home.