Frances Marleen Keller

F. MarLeen Christensen Keller passed away February 18, 2022 in Pocatello of natural causes.

She was born March 20, 1931 to Marlin & Ethel Christensen in Lewiston, Utah, their first child.

She lived most of her life in McCammon, ID working beside her mother and father in several businesses they ran but mostly on a farm they owned west of McCammon milking cows by hand before, and then after school 7 days a week, then hauling that milk in 10lbs milk cans to the road for the milk truck to pick up, Irrigating & mowing hay and oats, stacking hay with pitch forks, and riding the horse that pulled the derrick to stack the hay in the barn, butchering pigs, hunting cottontail rabbits in the winter on homemade snow shoes, raising a garden, and preserving what came from that garden, growing raspberries, and butchering chickens. It sure wasn’t an easy life but she sure knew how to work hard & get things done. She instilled this work ethic in all of her children.

When she did sit down she always had a crochet hook in her hand. Not knowing how to read the directions from a pattern she taught herself from looking at an actual item she wanted to make. She was also an accomplished seamstress. She taught both her daughters this talent.

MarLeen attended all 12 years of school in McCammon. She always said she loved school. She played the saxophone and drums in band. She liked the drums the best. She also enjoyed being in school plays.

In 1948 a boy named Russ Keller started coming around on his 1946 Indian motorcycle with a leather jacket & a pierced ear with his bronc saddle on the back. Her dad was not impressed.

MarLeen and Russ were married in February of 1949. They raised 7 children together.

Russ died December 12, 2003.

MarLeen always expressed how much she enjoyed working for US Bank, formerly Idaho 1^st national Bank, and all the friendships she found there.

Russ & MarLeen also lived for many years in Inkom, ID. Before returning to the same farm she grew up on. She lived there until she moved to Pocatello.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Russell & a sister Carmen. 

She is survived by her sister Sandra(Sunny) of Lewiston, ID, her 7 children, Scott of Pocatello, Max, of McCammon, Paula, of McCammon, Kent, of Pocatello, Ronda, of Pocatello, Wade, of Montana, and Jeff, of McCammon.  She is also survived by 17 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren. 

A Visitation will take place at Wilks Funeral Home on Friday February 25, 2022 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

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