Perry William Keeps

Perry William Keeps, age 83, passed away at his home in Osceola on August 17, 2019.  Perry was born December 17, 1935 in Oaklawn, Illinois to the late Donald and Evelyn Keeps.  On May 19, 1956 he married Mollyanna Dykhoff in Mishawaka.  They celebrated 56 years of marriage prior to her passing in November of 2012.

Surviving are his sons Kevin Keeps of Indianapolis and Kerry (Wanda) Keeps Sr. of Mishawaka.  Surviving as well are 3 grandchildren; Kerry (Cari) Keeps Jr., Krystle (Steve) Skelton, and Mindy (Kevin) Stanton.  Perry is also survived by 3 great grandchildren, Kaley, Zack and Maci, with another great-grandchild due in September of 2019.  He was preceded in death by his siblings Agnes Petersen and Don Keeps.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 pm Friday, August 23, 2019 at Cruz Family Funeral Home in Osceola.  There will also be one hour of viewing prior to the 11:00 am funeral service at Cruz Family Funeral Home on Saturday, August 24, 2019.  Cremation will follow and Perry and Mollyanna will laid to rest together at a later time.

Perry was employed for many years as a truck driver for the Elkhart Uniroyal Plant. In his spare time, he coached Little League Baseball in Osceola and enjoyed bowling in leagues at Chippewa and Parkway Lanes.  Perry also enjoyed traveling with his wife.  He was an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs, Notre Dame Football program, and the Chicago Bears.  He also loved playing cards with his friends and spending time gambling at the Casino.  Most recently, he had attended church at the Osceola United Methodist Church.

Perry never met a stranger.  Often, his wife would go ahead of him at the grocery store or out in public because he would strike up a conversation with someone new and lose track of time!  Most of all, Perry loved his family.  He and his wife attended and supported their grandchildren’s school activities and sporting events.  He will be missed by many.

In his memory, donations may be made to the Osceola United Methodist Church.   To leave view his online video tribute or leave a condolence for the Keeps family, please follow the links provided on the Tribute Wall tab above.