Billy Lloyd Keiner, 81, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 2 a.m., with his loving wife and children surrounding him with love.
Bill was born in Chamberlain, S.D. on Dec. 13, 1940, to Lloyd and Alvena (Andrea) Keiner. He was one of 5 children.
Bill graduated from Chamberlain, High School in 1958. After High School he joined the Navy, not knowing how to swim a stroke. Bill received an honorable discharge in 1961. The following year he met Ann, the love of his life, while walking across the American Creek Bridge. Bill and Ann moved to Wyoming and then to Astoria, Ore. In 1964 they rode a ferry to Washington State and were united into marriage. Bill helped build the Astoria Megler Bridge, after completion, he started gill netting salmon commercially on the Columbia River, in the boat he and Ann built together, because he could build and fix anything. Bill also fished commercially in Alaska.
The first 4 of the 7 kids were born in Oregon. After the fishing seasons were cut so short, he sold everything and moved his growing family to South Dakota where the remaining 3 children were born. Bill worked for Conger Construction out of Minneapolis, traveling all over the midwest slipping grain elevators.
In the mid-70s the family settled in Pukwana where they built their home. They lived here until 1991 when they moved back to Oregon. Bill worked for Adair Homes, building single family homes up and down the coast until 1996 when South Dakota began calling their name again. After settling in Chamberlain, Bill and Ann worked at St Joseph’s Indian School as house parents. During his years on the campus, Bill became famous for his prized cinnamon rolls. Bill retired in 2007.
In 2016 Bill and Ann moved to Ossian, where Bill spent the last 6 and a half years playing online poker, Canasta with his kids, and everyday loving Ann and their spoiled cat, Jake.
Survived by his wife, Ann (Zweber) Keiner; 7 children, Kim (Craig) Rosenberger, Perry Keiner, Karri (Jim) Swenson, Patience (Raymond) Pickner, Billy Keiner, Lore (Chris) Gage and Rachel (Scott) Rinehart; 22 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; brother, Brian (Jeanine) Keiner; and 2 sisters, Dorothy (Bob) Grimm and Ann Jarell.
Welcoming him into heaven were his parents; sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Cliff Hickey; son-in-law, Jim Swenson; mother and father-in-law, Elmer and Loretta Zweber; and 2 brother-in-laws, Mike Zweber and Al Solum.
Services will be at a later date.