Keith G. Owens, 88, of Carroll, died Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 at his home at Kinship Pointe in Wayne.
Private services with military rites will be held at Bethany Cemetery, rural Carroll. The Rev. Teresa Bartlett will officiate. Private family visitation will be held.
Memorials may be directed to the Carroll American Legion, Carroll Volunteer Fire and Rescue and Winside Rescue.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Keith George Owens was born in Wayne on July 16, 1932 to George and Helen (Hall) Owens. He was raised on the family farm northwest of Carroll where he lived until moving to Wayne in 2018. He graduated from Carroll High School in 1949 and attended Wayne State College. On Nov. 30, 1952, Keith and JoAnn (Truby) Owens were married at the Laurel Presbyterian Church. Keith served two years in the United States Army in Vienna, Austria.
Keith was a member of Bethany Presbyterian Church, serving on numerous boards and the Bethany Cemetery Board for many years. He was a charter member of Blue Ribbon 4-H Club, Carroll Volunteer Fire Department Board, the Nebraska Livestock Feeders Association, and Carroll American Legion Post #165. He bowled with the same bowling team, John Deere-Randolph, for 30 years and on a mixed league with JoAnn in Randolph.
Keith and JoAnn enjoyed dancing and belonged to Town Twirlers Square Dance Club. Keith loved to read and reminisce about past and present farm life, time spent in Austria during his service, and friends and family. Traveling was a highlight of Keith’s life with numerous family vacations including trips to Alaska and Austria where he made many friendships.
Keith was proud of his children’s and their families’ accomplishments. He was eager to say, “I’m a farmer”, referring to farming the land and raising cattle and hogs. Farming with his sons was a highlight of his life, proud of their accomplishments together and of his sons’ accomplishments as farmers on their own. Every season of planting, irrigating, and harvesting brought numerous inquiries and phones calls to his children and families asking how everything was going. Keith and JoAnn were the third Owens generation living on the same farm for 100 years, receiving the Aksarben Pioneer Farm Award in 2010.
Survivors include his children, Cinda (Tim) Wacker of Lincoln, Randy (Lori) Owens of Carroll, Greg (Wendy) Owens of Wayne; six grandchildren, Eric Wacker, Jason (Lydia) Wacker, Bryce (Nicole) Owens, Stephanie Owens (Josh) Henn, Logan (Kirsten) Owens, and Alexis (Chris) Weyhrich; and 10 great grandchildren, Brittneay Murphy, Brooklynn Wacker, Emerleigh Wacker, Hudson Wacker, Everett Brodhagen, Avery Owens, Maveryk Henn, Gabrielle Henn, Ashton Owens, and Landon Owens; four nieces, one nephew, and families, and numerous cousins and families.
He was preceded in death by his wife, JoAnn; parents, George and Helen Owens; a brother and sister-in-law, Dean and Eleanor Owens, and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Jesse and Marian Truby.
Pallbearers will be Keith and JoAnn’s grandchildren, Eric Wacker, Jason Wacker, Alexis Weyhrich, Bryce Owens, Logan Owens and Stephanie Henn.
