Jerald "Jerry" Keller

Jerald “Jerry” D. Keller, 88, of De Smet, SD, passed away on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Society in De Smet, SD.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at American Lutheran Church in De Smet, SD, with visitation being held from 9:00-10:30 AM. Pastor Nate Bendorf will officiate with music provided by Mary Weerts as organist and Tristin Gruenhagen as vocalist. The service will be livestreamed via www.crawfordosthus.com.

Burial at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Aberdeen, SD.

The family requests donation be made in Jerry's memory to the De Smet Good Samaritan Center, De Smet Avera Memorial Hospital, and the De Smet American Legion Post #138 in lieu of flowers.

On January 12, 1938, Jerald “Jerry” D. Keller was born to Lester “L.B.” Keller and Phyllis VanDeBrake in Aberdeen, SD. When Jerry was young, the family moved to Pierpont, SD, where Jerry graduated from high school in 1957. During high school, he loved basketball, football, track, and also played clarinet in the school band.  After graduation, Jerry attended Northern University for two years before leaving to join the Army in 1960. He was stationed in Korea during peacetime as the company clerk before returning to Aberdeen in 1963. After a year in Aberdeen, Jerry married Shirley Steuck and moved to Sioux Falls where the couple lived for four years prior to moving to Selby, SD, where Jerry was offered the administrator position at the Good Samaritan Center. The couple would raise two daughters, Leslie and Darcy. In 1981, Jerry became the administrator for the De Smet Good Samaritan Center for nearly twenty years when he retired from his full-time position in the Spring of 1998, but stayed on a few years longer as an interim administrator for the Society.

Jerry loved woodworking as a member of the De Smet Woodcarvers and won awards at the South Dakota Masterworks competitions. Jerry also maintained his love of athletics through his participation in his Senior Golf League and support for the Green Bay Packers as well as the De Smet Bulldogs. He was an active member of the De Smet community through the Lions Club, Kiwanis Organization, American Legion, and Genealogy Club. He also was a lay-minister in Bancroft as well as Oldham and was a dedicated member of the American Lutheran Church.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Shirley of De Smet, SD; daughters, Leslie (Rob) Mader of Marshfield, WI, and Darcy (Russ) Miller of Iroquois, SD; grandchildren: Erin (Adam Budzinski) Mader of Green Bay, WI, Bethany (Wyatt Gibb) Mader of St. Paul, MN, and Kirby & Willy Miller of Iroquois, SD; brother, William “Bill” (Kathy) Keller of Aberdeen, SD; and sister, Vonnie Soelberg of Schaumburg, IL.

He was preceded in death by his parents and step-parents, Lester “L.B.” (June) Keller and Phyllis (Ed) VanDeBrake, as well as his beloved grandmother, Alma Woolsey.

Arrangements entrusted to Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel                       www.crawfordosthus.com

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