DELBERT KEENE

DELBERT KEENE 07/01/1945 - 12/02/2025 Delbert D. Keene, 80 of Union, Neb., passed away on December 2, 2025, at his home with his son DJ by his side. Delbert was born the 11th child on Sunday, July 1, 1945, in Union at the family home on Rock Street, the son of Otis Arthur and Lena G. (Rakes) Keene. Delbert attended Union grade school but graduated from Nehawka High School in 1963. He worked as a carpenter with Ed Jensen around the Union area until he enlisted into the Navy in 1965, where he served as an Interior Communication 3rd Class. He first served on the USS Yorktown and finished on the USS Intrepid. After he returned home from the Navy, he went back to carpentry and framing houses in the Caphart area in Bellevue, Neb. Then he changed careers to a boiler engineer and worked for Methodist Hospital and City of Omaha. He later got a job with Ruan Leasing in Omaha and transferred to Baltic, S.D., and then Faribault, Minn., where he was a shop manager for 12 years. Delbert returned to his hometown and got a job at Ampel in Weeping Water for three years and then went to work for Werner Enterprises in Omaha, installing Qualcomm Satellite Systems in semis. He continued with them for 15 years and retired in 2007. He was preceded in death by his parents Otis (1949) and Lena (1984); brothers: Lamar (1982), Meredith "Mer" (2005), Ivan (1994), Leo (2020), Glen (2025); sisters: Virginia "Ginny" (2012), Ardith "Ardy" (2010), twins Letha and Lena (1936) and Bonnie (1989). Delbert is survived by his son Delbert Lamar "DJ" of Union and daughter Carmen Jean Keene of Sioux Falls, S.D.; sister Nola Grunwald of Union; brother Lonnie Keene (Sandy) of Union and sister-in-law Sally Keene of Bellevue; many nieces and nephews, cousins, extended family and friends. A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 12, 2025, at Union American Legion Hall in Union with military honors by the United State Navy Funeral Honors Detail. Burial of cremains will be at Lewiston Cemetery, southeast of Murray. Gude and Marshall Funeral Homes are in charge of arrangements.