Myrtle A. Keppy

Myrtle Adell Keppy, 85, a resident of Eldridge, Iowa died on Sunday, December 27, 2009 at Crest Health Center in Davenport, Iowa.
A funeral service to celebrate her life will be held at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at Faith Lutheran Church of Eldridge where she was a charter member. She will be laid to rest at Davenport Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Tuesday at the church. Additional visitation will be from 9:30 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. Wednesday at the church. Memorials may be made to the Mississippi Valley Fair, Scott County 4-H, Faith Lutheran Church, the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Committee or a charity of the donor’s choice. Chambers Funeral Home of Eldridge is assisting the family with arrangements.
She was born March 1, 1924 in Lincoln Township of Scott County, Iowa, the daughter of Valentine Alfred & Mildred Elizabeth (Wiese) Eckermann. On January 23, 1946, Myrtle was united in marriage to Roy B. Keppy at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport. Roy preceded her in death on May 21, 2005.
She has been grateful to the staff at Ridgecrest Village for their support during her debilitating years of progressing Parkinson’s disease.
Myrtle was a devoted wife, mother, partner of Glendale Farms, proud grandmother & great-grandmother. Roy & Myrtle’s reputation for dedication to family farming went well beyond the borders of Scott County and they will long be remembered as strong advocates for agriculture.
In addition to the church, she was a member of the Scott County Farm Bureau Women, the Iowa Porkettes and the National Porkettes, dedicating her time to the promotion of positive agriculture. She was proud to have received their prestigious Bell Ringer award.
For many years, Myrtle enjoyed participating in baking contests, flower arranging and networking with other agricultural families. Myrtle & Roy took great pride in their farm and regularly hosted farm tours. She always wanted her guests to ‘leave with a good taste in their mouths’ so she often served ham sandwiches or other pork treats to busloads of guests. As the years went by and as they grew older, they proudly watched their children & grandchildren carry on the work at the farm and various projects they were involved in at school, sports, youth groups, church, county & state fairs.
Myrtle kept daily diaries for more than sixty years which offer a glimpse of her farm family life. Her story lives on in a book she helped to write which includes excerpts from her diaries. Family and friends are grateful for this lasting account of her life.
Those left to honor her memory include her daughters, Annette (Frank) Remsburg of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ila Jean (Dan) Taylor of Bouton, Iowa; her sons, Glen (Jean) Keppy of Eldridge and Dale (Tamia) Keppy of Moline, Illinois; twelve grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; and her brother, Clifford Eckermann of Davenport. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by their infant daughter, Royce Adell Keppy.
Condolences may be expressed to the Keppy family by viewing Myrtle’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.