Jerald "Jerry" Keller
Jerald “Jerry” D. Keller, 88, of De Smet, SD, passed awayon Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Society in De Smet, SD.
On January 12, 1938, Jerald “Jerry” D. Keller was born toLester “L.B.” Keller and Phyllis VanDeBrake in Aberdeen, SD. When Jerry wasyoung, the family moved to Pierpont, SD, where Jerry graduated from high schoolin 1957. During high school, he loved basketball, football, track, and alsoplayed clarinet in the school band.
After graduation, Jerry attended Northern University fortwo years before leaving to join the Army in 1960. He was stationed in Koreaduring peacetime as the company clerk before returning to Aberdeen in 1963.
After a year in Aberdeen, Jerry married Shirley Steuck andmoved to Sioux Falls where the couple lived for four years prior to moving toSelby, SD, where Jerry was offered the administrator position at the GoodSamaritan Center. The couple would raise two daughters, Leslie and Darcy. In1981, Jerry became the administrator for the De Smet Good Samaritan Center fornearly twenty years when he retired from his full-time position in the Springof 1998, but stayed on a few years longer as an interim administrator for theSociety.
Jerry loved woodworking as a member of the De SmetWoodcarvers and won awards at the South Dakota Masterworks competitions. Jerryalso maintained his love of athletics through his participation in his SeniorGolf League and support for the Green Bay Packers as well as the De SmetBulldogs. He was an active member of the De Smet community through the LionsClub, Kiwanis Organization, American Legion, and Genealogy Club. He also was alay-minister in Bancroft as well as Oldham and was a dedicated member of theAmerican Lutheran Church.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Shirley of De Smet, SD;daughters, Leslie (Rob) Mader of Marshfield, WI, and Darcy (Russ) Miller ofIroquois, SD; grandchildren: Erin (Adam Budzinski) Mader of Green Bay, WI,Bethany (Wyatt Gibb) Mader of St. Paul, MN, and Kirby & Willy Miller ofIroquois, SD; brother, William “Bill” (Kathy) Keller of Aberdeen, SD; andsister, Vonnie Soelberg of Schaumburg, IL.
He was preceded in death by his parents and step-parents,Lester “L.B.” (June) Keller and Phyllis (Ed) VanDeBrake, as well as his belovedgrandmother, Alma Woolsey.