Leonard (Jr) Keating

Leonard (JR) Keating, Jr., was born September 26, 1934, the son of Leonard, Sr. and Margaret DeConnick Keating. He passed away Saturday, May 19, 2012, at the Denison Care Center in Denison, Iowa, at the age of 77.
JR was born in Denison, Iowa. He received his education in the St. Boniface Catholic Grade School and attended Charter Oak High School in Charter Oak, Iowa, graduating with the class of 1953. After high school he enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 13, 1953, and was stationed in Fort Riley, Chicago; Gary, Indiana; and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Upon his discharge from the Army on October 12, 1955, JR returned to Charter Oak and established Keating Truck Line, hauling grain and livestock locally and long distance. JR owned and operated the business until retiring in the late 90s and continued to drive truck for local businesses.
JR was united in marriage to Mary Ellen Schulte on April 27, 1960, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Westphalia, Iowa. The couple was blessed with the birth of four daughters.
JR loved spending time with his family and much of his free time was devoted to attending his grandchildrens sporting events. He was an avid fan of Duke Basketball and Cardinals Baseball. JR enjoyed socializing with friends, trips to the casino, and playing cards except with family members, as he said they made up their own set of rules. He loved chocolate, especially chocolate cake and Snickers. JR looked forward to visits from the grandchildrens pets: Buster, Tank, and Walter and always had treats tucked away for them. He was a member of the Charter Oak Community Club, the Crawford County Cattlemans Association, the Iowa Soybean Association, and the Crawford County Pork Producers Association. JR entered the Denison Care Center in November 2011 and made new friends with the residents and staff while living there. He was devoted to his Lord and Savior and a faithful member of St. Boniface Catholic Church in Charter Oak.
JR was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, John (Jack) and one sister, Carol. Survivors include his wife, Mary Ellen; four daughters, Mary Faye; Lynnette and her husband, Darwin; Kelley and her husband, Mark; Shari and her husband, Trent; nine grandchildren; Tiffany and her husband, Ryan; JR and his wife, Brittany; Justin; Brock; Ashton; Kala and her fianc, Chance; Kami; Tarin; and Hunter; one great-granddaughter Reese; one brother, Mike and Pam; one sister, Nancy and her husband, Jim; other relatives and friends.