Keith Keller Crane

BURLEY - Keith Keller Crane, 90, of Burley, passed away peacefully into eternity, on Sunday, July 5, 2015, at Countryside Care and Rehabilitation in Rupert.

He was born July 31, 1924, in Mink Creek, Idaho, in a white-frame house built by his grandfather, the sixth of eight children to William E. Crane and Jemima Keller Crane. His childhood was spent on the family dairy farm where he learned many life-long skills and the necessity of hard work. After attending schools in Mink Creek through 11th grade, he graduated from Preston High School in 1943.

He was a veteran of World War II. Trained as a scout in the infantry, he served with the Third Attack Group of the Fifth Air Force from 1945-1947; working in Japan, for one year as a truck driver at Atsuga Air Base, and another year at Yakota Air Base.

Upon his return from military service, he was called on a two-and-a-half year mission to Denmark. This experience he described as “the best thing that ever happened to me up to that time.” He labored in Randers, Copenhagen, and the island of Bornholm. He cherished, and often shared, many memories from those days.

After his mission, he returned to Mink Creek to the people, farm, and home he loved the most. There, he had the pleasure of farming with his father. He met Ramona Ranzenberger when she came to Mink Creek on an elementary teaching assignment following her LDS mission to the Northern States. They were married July 25, 1952, in the Logan Utah LDS Temple.

Shortly after their marriage, Keith and Ramona purchased their own acreage in Mink Creek, Idaho. He operated their dairy farm, and continued to farm with his father, while Ramona taught school. Their five children, RoZann, Lisa, Tracy, Gilbert, and Kelly, were born during this time. In 1969, the family sold the farm and relocated to Burley, Idaho, where Keith worked as an industrial electrician for the J.R. Simplot Company, until his retirement in 1986.

Keith was an affectionate and devoted family man. He loved to collect Native American artifacts, study anthropology and archeology, travel, hunt, fish, entertain everyone with his stories and insights, and nurture friendships old and new. He was a man with a warm heart who loved life and loved the people he was privileged to share it with. Blessed with a jovial and light-hearted personality, he possessed a generosity of spirit unmatched by most.

All of his life, Keith was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in a variety of positions over the years. He especially enjoyed missionary and family history work, particularly participating in the Italian extraction program, which he did consistently during his retirement years. His testimony of the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ and the restoration of His gospel in these latter days was resolute.

Surviving him are his wife, Ramona, presently living in Saint George, Utah; and children, RoZann (Tom) Baker of Los Angeles, Calif., Lisa (Dan) Meikle of Saint George, Utah, Tracy (Joni) of New Braunfels, Texas, Gilbert (Valarie) of Burley, Idaho, and Kelly (Sara) of Laramie, Wyo. In addition, Keith and Ramona are the grandparents of 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was enormously proud of his family and candid in sharing his enthusiasm. He cheered us all along our various paths and blessed our lives in countless ways. We miss him profoundly.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, July 13, at the Burley LDS 3rd and 7th Ward Church, 2200 Oakley Ave., in Burley, with Bishop Steven Gerratt officiating. Burial will follow at 3:30 p.m. at the Mink Creek Cemetery in Mink Creek, Idaho.

Friends may call from 5 until 7 p.m. Sunday, July 12, at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and from 10 until 10:45 a.m. Monday at the church.