EIF-A_Lasting Contributions

LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS
Paul
Keitel
DeWitt
Paul Keitel watches from
the passenger seat of a
pickup truck in October
2021 as his friends and
neighbors harvest corn
from his fields. Keitel was
battling cancer and was
too ill to work at the time.
He dedicated his life to
serving the farm and youth
communities.
EASTERN IOWA FARMER
PHOTO / BROOKE TILL
rubber boots to wear in the cattle yard.”
She reminisced about being six months
pregnant dressed in Carharts that she could
not zip up. Keitel placed her in the lane by the
house to help him move cattle.
“I was to stand and wave my arms to keep
them from running down the lane, but when
a 1,500-pound bull came at me, I could only
step out of the way and let him go,” with an
angry Keitel not far behind.
Together they served more than 25 years
with the Clinton County Cattlemen, holding
various officer positions, and were instrumental
in preparing Cattlemen’s beef for people in
the area.
“Paul’s favorite jobs annually were to provide
burgers at Central DeWitt High School
and grill at the Clinton Lumber Kings,” Terri
said.
Keitel always had time for young people
and when serving as a bus driver for Central
DeWitt, he would strike up conversations with
students, always knowing something about
them.
An avid baseball fan, he was well-known
across the state as an umpire and referee. He
served as president of the Iowa High School
Baseball Coaches Association and was inducted
into the Iowa High School Association Hall
of Fame. He even has his own Topps baseball
card honoring his work. Since his passing, his
umpire partner has delivered one of the baseballs
from the annual state tournament to his
grave. Terri keeps each one in a glass case.
Keitel was a regular at the state baseball
tournaments. When Keitel was fighting
against lymphoma, umpires wore black armbands
with PK initialed on them at the state
baseball tournament. They also wore green
wrist bands to show their support in the fight
against cancer.
Terri and Paul provide annual scholarships
at Central DeWitt and the Iowa High School
Baseball Coaches Association. These are
awarded, as Terri put it, “to good kids that
love playing baseball.” As one recipient wrote
in a thank you note, “I hope one day I am able
to pay it forward in order to continue my love
for baseball like Paul did.”
Another recipient wrote, “Not only was
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