Joyce Eileen Keeley

After a painfully brave and dignified fight for her life, Joyce Keeley went to heaven to be with her son, Rick, on December 24, 2007. Joyce was the daughter of Emmitt and Estelle Brown. She was born on July 2, 1936, in Blockton, IA where she grew up. As a young teenager, she worked as a soda jerk in the town's soda shop. At the age of 16, she fought the disease of Polio, coming through with little to no permanent damage. She graduated from high school and moved to Missouri after her mother moved to Wenatchee. She worked as a file clerk in Missouri until she packed up and moved to Wenatchee to live with her mother. On August 4, 1962, she married the man of her dreams, Donald David Keeley. On July 10, 1963, she gave birth to her son, Richard Edward Keeley and on August 29, 1967, she gave birth to her daughter, Cheryl Ann Keeley. They made their home in Bothell until 1975, when they moved from a very nice, busy neighborhood in Bothell, to the quaint, quiet secluded place they called home for the next 32 years, "The Colockum." Joyce was hesitant, to say the least, about the move, but soon made it a home for herself and her family. Joyce worked in the fruit industry for many years. Through the years, she worked for Malaga Co-Op, Philippi Fruit and retired from Stemilt Growers. She also worked very hard at taking loving care of her husband and two children and in later years, her grandsons, John Thomas Halvorson and Kevin Donald Halvorson. She was the devoted, loving Grandmother who went to all of the boys events. At the end, when she could not go to the events, she would support them by wearing her Wenatchee Panther beanie cap. After retirement, Don and Joyce traveled. They went to Alaska, Panama and Mexico. In the wintertime, they would enjoy relatives for a month in Arizona. They traveled to many different areas of the United States as well, Iowa being one of their favorite and last places to vacation. In November of 2006, a tumor ate through her femur and started her year long battle of lung cancer, which metastasized to the bones. She went through several rounds chemo and radiation, surgery on her leg, three surgeries in a month on her arm, all without complaint. She kept her stubborn, strong spirit, until literally her last day, at which time she gave up the fight and joined her son, Rick, in Heaven. Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Emmitt and Estelle Brown; her brother, Edward Emmitt Brown; and her beloved son, Richard Edward Keeley. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Donald David Keeley; her daughter, Cheryl Ann Keeley (Rob Ullas) of Wenatchee; and her grandsons, John Thomas Halvorson and Kevin Donald Halvorson, both of Wenatchee. There will be viewing at Jones & Jones ~ Betts Funeral Home Thursday, December 27, 2007, from 1 to 7 p.m. and Friday, December 28, 2007, from 9 a.m. to Noon. Funeral Services will be held at Jones & Jones ~ Betts Funeral Home on Friday, December 28, 2007, at 1:00 p.m. with Interment following at Wenatchee City Cemetery. Arrangements have been entrusted to Eldon Hawkins.