LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS WORDS WRITTEN BY KEITEL’S DAUGHTER, ALLISON HARRINGTON: Who was Paul Keitel? My dad was a man full of life. When looking back on his life, all you can see is his smile. All you can hear is his laugh. All you can feel is the love and support he so effortlessly gave. My dad was a simple man who did not need much in life to be happy but yet worked hard to give his family an extraordinary life. A simple man who only needed his faith, family, and friends. When you hear stories about him, it’s hard to believe that he was just one man. How can someone accomplish so much in life? How could someone be so selfless that they would have given you the shirt off their back? My dad never asked why, he would ask when and where. While he may sound perfect, he did have flaws but those flaws were so outweighed by the good things that now looking past the grief of losing him, there’s nothing but pride. The pride to have been able to know my dad, Paul Keitel. Paul a great umpire but a wonderful man who enjoyed baseball. He has inspired me to start my own journey umping baseball.” Both the DeWitt and North Scott communities provided support for the Keitel family during their battle with cancer. “The support cannot be described, from a Go Fund Me page to contributions from gate fees when DeWitt played North Scott,” Terri said. The community came out to harvest his land during his last months on the farm as he watched with tears of gratitude from his pickup truck. Medical bills totaled in the millions with community support paying the deductible. Numerous times the doctors wanted to send Keitel home with hospice but he refused saying, “No, I want to fight, I don’t want anyone thinking I did not fight.” Dr. Sabarish Ayapan in Iowa City recognized that fight in Keitel and did everything he could to save him, Terri said. They were sent home on a Friday in September 2021, with Keitel being given three days to live. Their daughter Allison moved up her wedding to that Saturday on the farm so her dad could walk her down the aisle and dance one last dance. The following Monday, he was given an experimental drug that could give him six more months to live. Five months later he died. Shortly before passing, he took one last ride on his tractor, having read Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” A picture of that last ride and that last verse he read are inscribed on the tombstone at his gravesite. Keitel’s legacy lives on. Each of their children — Jennifer, Allision, and Christopher — have tattooed on their arms the saying their dad taught them, instilled by his parents to Keitel and then to his children, “The only thing you take with you to the grave is your good name.” n Our Greatest Honor Is LEARNING YOUR STORY Our team at Ohnward Wealth and Retirement is committed to helping you attain financial goals. Listening, research and empowering you with information. Kerry Schepers-ChFC, Amber Knickrehm and Shirley Driscoll 563-652-2491 www.ohnwardwealth.com Kerry Schepers and Amber Knickrehm are Registered Representatives. Shirley Driscoll is an office team member and not a registered representative. Registered Representative, Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA / SIPC. Investment Advisor Representative Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., A registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Ohnward Wealth and Retirement are not Affiliated. Products sold are Not FDIC insured, No bank guarantee, are not a deposit, are not insured by any federal government agency and may lose value. 60 EASTERN IOWA FARMER | SPRING 2024 eifarmer.com
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