Willie Dale Keatts

Willie Dale Keatts
Willie Dale Keatts, 93, of Golden City passed away May 3, 2019, at Good Shepherd Community Care in Lockwood.
Keatts was born Aug. 31, 1925, in Billings to Amos E. and Glenn (Ward) Oetker. Keatts graduated from Billings High School and attended Teachers College, what is now SMS in Springfield. In 1947, she married James Henry Keatts in Bentonville, Ark. and together they raised five children.
Keatts was an elementary school teacher in rural Marionville and Republic, worked at Rice’s Feed Store in Golden City, started the Barton County Health Department, where she worked for 20 years, retiring in 1988. After retirement she and her husband bought the old Golden City Lumber Yard and converted it into a daycare that she operated for 14 years until she retired again at age 78. Keatts loved to read and play pitch, but her greatest love was to be with her family. She was a member of the Golden City United Methodist Church.
Survivors include: sons, Wayne (Jean) Keatts of Golden City, Max (Vickie) Keatts of Greenfield and Leroy (Joyce) Keatts of Lamar; daughter, Linda (Ron) Ward of Springfield; sister, Charlene Burky of Billings; 13 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a special son, Wilbur Rauch of Nixa. Preceding in death were: her parents; husband; son Alan Keatts; sister, Susie Burky; and a great-granddaughter.
Funeral services were held May 7, 2019, at Daniel Funeral Home with burial that followed in Rock Prairie Cemetery in Halltown.
Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society in care of Daniel Funeral Home.